respect Sina in their Language signifies A most brave and famous Countrey Others opposing will have this Kingdom to derive its Name from the Inhabitants of the City Chincheu because these People drive onely a constant Trade by Sea to most Places of Asia so that the Portugueses and Indians by leaving out the same Letters of the word Chincheu might easily give it the Name of China But those are in a very great Error that will have the word China to be derived from a certain word Cinch which by the Chineses is very much us'd The falseness of this Assertion will clearly appear from hence in that the Chineses who Trade with the Indians or Portugueses to those Places and go with their Ships to India us'd on the score of Civility and kind Respect to Greet each other in their Mothers Tongue not with the Name of Cinch but Sia Now that which appears to me to be a most probable Truth amongst the various Opinions of Writers is that which the Iesuit Martinus Martinii a Man of great Learning and Skill in the Antiquities of China has asserted in the sixth Book of his History of China the words whereof are as follow I shall not says he let this pass unmention'd which seems to me most likely That not onely by the Indians but also by Strangers the Name China took rise and original from the Generation Family or Branch of Cina who Govern'd in China in the 246. Year before the Birth of Christ So that we ought not to call it China but rather The Kingdom of Sinen or Cinen for in the time of those Kings which proceeded from this Branch the Name of Siners was first made known by Strangers and especially by the Indians By the Indians the Name of China afterwards came into use and was followed by the Portugueses after the Conquest of India for this Family of Cina Govern'd over the greatest part of the Siners who lived toward the West and continually had Wars with Foreiners When afterwards the Court or Seat of the Kingdom was Planted there received the Name of The Kingdom of China This Family of Cina being risen to the highest pitch of all Prosperity prov'd after a great Invader of others Territories insomuch that it seems no wonder that Strangers and remote Nations had the Name of Cina so frequent among them And though the Sineses call this farther part of Asia or Cina by several Names according to the Governing Families that happen to change yet however Foreiners do reserve the first Name which they heard And this is my Opinion concerning the Original of the Name Sina and according to this Assertion the first Letter of the word ought to be writ not with an S but with a C. All China was formerly divided by the Chinese Emperor Xunus into 12 Provinces afterwards the Emperor Yva who took upon him the Government after the Death of Xinus about 260 years before the Incarnation of our Saviour reduced all China into nine Provinces which onely at that time comprehended the Northern Parts of China and had for their Confines the River Kiang But after that they had Conquer'd the Southern Parts by degrees and somewhat Civiliz'd the Inhabitants the whole Kingdom of China was divided into 15 Provinces Amongst these also they reckon the Province of Leaotung which is situated on the West of Peking where the great Wall begins and the Hanging-Island of Corea both which pay Tribute to the Emperor There are several other Islands beside which pay also Tribute amongst which the Island Haman is the chiefest lying in the Sea over against the Province of Quangsi Among the Islands which are Tributary to this Kingdom is also accounted the Island Formosa which the Chineses call Lieukieu and situated over against the Province of Foken and also the Island Cheuxan over against the Province of Chekiang a very famous Place for Trading But of this more at large hereafter Six of the 15 Provinces verge upon the Sea as Peking Xantung Kiangnan or Nanking Cheaiang Foking and Quantung From hence toward the North lie the Midland Countries as Quangsi Kiangsi Huquang Honan and Xansi and toward the West the other four Xensi Sucheu Queicheu and Iunnan Lastly this Empire which comprehends 15 Kingdoms is also divided into the South and North-China South-China the Tartars call The Kingdom of Mangin and North-China The Kingdom of Catay In the first are nine Kingdoms and in the last six or eight if you will reckon amongst them the Kingdom of Leaotung and the Hanging-Island of Corea By what has been already said it doth clearly appear how far those are mistaken who write of another Empire beyond China which they call Catay as likewise of several Towns as Quinsey Cambalu and many other Fictions whereas in truth beyond the great Wall no other People live but Tartars who have no fixed Abodes but wander up and down the Countries in Wagons and so travel from Place to Place as may be found at large in the Writings of those who have sufficiently confuted this great Error and Mistake as Virgantius and Martinus Martinii in his Atlas of China Amongst the rest the Iesuits have likewise found by experience that beyond the Empire of China no Monarchy of Catay is to be found insomuch that the same People whom we call Chineses are by the Persians call'd Cataians This same Mistake has been likewise sufficiently and Learnedly confuted with undeniable Arguments by the most Learned Iacob Gool a Person of extraordinary Knowledge in all Arts of Literature and especially in the Oriental Languages and at present Arabick Professor in the University of Leyden in his Appendix to the Atlas of China The Kingdom of China is so inclos'd with several Islands and on the East and South with Seas that it seems almost to be four-square onely two great Mountains thrust themselves out toward the Sea which in the Chinese Language are called Tung The one lies by the Town of Ningpo from whence you may Sail in 40 hours to the Island of Iapan the other great Hill is in the Province of Xantung near to the Town of Tengoheu China situated in the farthest part of Asia borders toward the East South and West upon the great Indian Sea and is call'd Tung by the Chineses which signifies Easterly And on the North it is separated from the Kingdoms of Ninche and Nicolhan by that Famous Wall which was made by those of China against the Invasion of the Tartars Higher up toward the North it has for Frontiers the Kingdom of Taniju and a Wilderness call'd Samo which separates the North side of this China from the Kingdoms of Samahan and Cascar Upon the other Provinces situated toward the South joyn the Kingdoms of Prester-Iohn Geo which by the Chineses are call'd by one common Name Sifan as also Tibet Laos and Mien Likewise China reaches as far as Brangale and to some part of Tartary and the Mountains of Damascus which
without by means whereof there are such great and swarming Herds continually kept in the Streets that they are hardly passable yet they are always kept very clean great numbers of People being continually employ'd in taking away the Filth In the Province of Peking there are some Cats with very long Hair as white as Milk and having long Ears like a Spaniel The Gentlewomen keep them for their Pleasure for they will not hunt after or catch Mice the reason perhaps being for that they are too high fed Yet they have store of other Cats which are good Mousers In the Provinces of Iunnan and Suchue are the best Horses And in the Province of Xensi upon the Mountain Holan three hundred Miles large are many wild Horses Their Horses are generally but of a mean stature yet well set broad Buttock'd and strong for Service Near Siven are yellow Mice very large whose Skins are in much request amongst the People In all Parts of China especially in the Province of Quantung are abundance of Stags Bucks Hares c. In Xantung are many ravenous Wolves And in Xensi abundance of Bears the Fore-feet whereof are held in great esteem by the Natives Near to the Chief City Linyao lie some Mountains upon which are bred wild Oxen and Creatures like Tygers with whose Skins the Inhabitants make their Clothes In the Province of Suchue near the City Po is a Creature call'd The Rhinoceros It is of a swarthy hue like the Elephant the Skin is full of Wrincles and so hard withal that it can scarcely be pierc'd with a Sword It has a Snout like a Hog but sharper and above the Nostrils stands the Horn which is generally black now and then there is one white but very seldom and that is sold much dearer than the other and indeed one is larger than the other according to the age of the Beast There are great store of Tygers in the Province of Chekiang mischievous and fierce according to their Nature But upon the Mountain Kutien are some that will not hurt a Man In several Parts of China also are Elephants bred but the best are in the Provinces of Nanking and Iunnan I shall only add a few words concerning them so much hauing been already said by several Authors Their bigness is various At Constantinople was one seen which from the Eyes to the furthermost part of the Back was eleven Foot and from the Eyes to the end of his Snout eight Foot long In heighth some are twelve others thirteen and fourteen Foot They are generally black but some Chinese Writers affirm that the King of Nazaringa had a white one Their Skin is like Net-work but so extraordinary hard that it will turn the Edge of a Sword yet it is harder upon the Back than the Belly For the chewing of their Meat they have four Teeth within besides those that stick out before which stand crooked in the Male and down-right in the Female The nether Iaw-bone is only mov'd in chewing the upper always rests In that part where the Nose is plac'd in other Creatures the Elephant has a long Trunk or Snout which reaches to the Ground and has a Slit at the end This is both pliable and slippery which they make use of in stead of a Hand for they can take up any thing with it either moist or dry and put it into their Mouths In the Province of Iunnan the Hill Nalo is full of wild Tygers and Leopards and so also is the Mountain Xepao In the Province of Quangsi they are much fiercer than Lions and very hot and eager in the pursuit of Men Women and Children But Nature has in some sort provided a means whereby to avoid the cruelty of this Beast for it is always accompanied with a small Creature which with continual Barking gives notice of its coming upon which noise every living thing endeavors to get out of the way by flight or otherwise The People of Bengala stand in very great dread of this Beast The Tyger and Rhinoceros as Bontius writes are great Friends to one another conversing much together the reason whereof the Islanders of Iapan told me was as they suppos'd and which is not improbable because the Tyger is altogether a devourer of Flesh which must of necessity occasion a weak Stomach whereas the Rhinoceros feeds only upon Green therefore the Tyger follows him for his Dungs sake which he eats for a Cure when he is out of order as the Dogs Grass and the Cats Nip or Cats-mint In the Province of Quangsi are very large Hogs with great and strong Bristles of a Foot and a half long which by a particular and strange motion of the Body they know how to dart toward any one and that not without great prejudice of those they hit In the Province of Xensi is found the Creature call'd Xee from whom proceeds the Musk and which is very strange if at any time it be carried out of the Kingdom of Lu into the adjacent Kingdom of Laos it dies immediately as a Fish out of the Water In the Kingdom of Gannan is a certain Creature call'd Tese which in shape comes very near to a Man having long Arms he is black and hairy upon the Body swift of Foot and laughs aloud like a Man but is of so voracious a nature that whomsoever he meets with he instantly devours In the Province of Suchue lies a Mountain call'd Toyung upon which are Monkies or Baboons which for bigness and shape are very like a Man These Creatures are more than ordinarily addicted to Venery so that they often attempt to surprise Women on purpose to satisfie their beastial lust and have their wills on them The Indians call them Wild Men and the Indian Women are in such fear of them that they dare not come near those Woods where they frequent Of Fowl IN the Province of Xantung are Hens and fat Capons to be had very cheap as also great abundance of all sorts of Fowl as Pheasants Partridges c. In the Province of Xensi about Mincheu are Cocks and Hens having Wool upon them in stead of Feathers In the Province of Quantung are an innumerable company of Ducks which the Inhabitants take great delight to breed and increase They never suffer the Duck to sit upon her Eggs to hatch them but put them into an Oven moderately heated or else bury them in a Dunghil and so hatch the young ones In the Province of Huquang near to the City Hanyang may be caught great store of Geese There are several other sorts of Fowls and Birds in other Provinces whereof we have already made mention in the former part of the Description of China Of Fish IN the Province of Xantung the Pools and Rivers do so abound with Fish that for the value of a Peny you may buy ten Pound weight thereof In the Province of Kiangsi is a great abundance of all manner of Fish especially of Salmon and the like In the
concluded to form themselves into a distinct Commonwealth and to send some of their People as Colonies to inhabit other Parts Thus at last they divided the whole District of Ninche into seven Principalities or Governments who for a while agreed among themselves without any grand Disturbance or pretence of Warring with each other but at length upon some occasion Quarrels arose which broke forth into a long War wherein the Victors assuming to themselves absolute Principality turn'd their Commonwealth in the Year 1600 after Christ's Birth into a Monarchy and call'd it The Kingdom of Ninche This Ninche which is properly East-Tartary and as yet very little known to those of Europe is bounded on the North and North-East with another Tartar Kingdom call'd Niulhan towards the East lies the Kingdom of Yupi likewise under the Tartar Yoke and surrounded with the Sea between Iapan and East-Tartary on the South it borders upon the Island Corea and by the Great Wall it is divided from the Province of Laotung but more towards the West separated by the great River Linhoang flowing between this Kingdom of Ninche and Kilangho The antiquiety of this People appears in the mention made of them in the Race of Hana which began in the Year 206 before Christ's Birth They are known to the Chineses and Neighbors by the Name of Kin which signifies Gold and commonly are call'd The Lords and Masters of the Golden Mountains it being a common opinion That China is full of Gold-Mines which we will not dispute but dare knowingly affirm That it has Rivers upon the sides whereof great store of Gold is taken up daily It is to be observ'd that the Tartars of several Parts have at divers times Warred on China but the People of Ninche above all have always been their greatest Enemies having during the Reign of the Race of Sunga given so great Overthrows to their Forces and made such Depredations upon their Land that they were forc'd to flie out of the Northern Provinces into the Southern the Ninchians having subdu'd and brought under their Subjection the Provinces of Laotung Peking Xensi Xensi and Xantung and without all doubt at that time would have conquer'd the whole Empire if the neighboring Tartars of the Kingdom of Samarcand who envied their great Success after the Conquest of a great part of Asia had not through the Western and Southern Provinces fall'n into the Empire of China and put a stop to their Victories by their irresistible Armies which was the occasion of a cruel and bloody War between them These Tartars of Samarcand drove those of Ninche not only out of China but pursu'd them into East-Tartary their own Country whereof they took a considerable part from them And since that time the Samarcandians who possess'd the Northern Provinces out of which they had beaten the Nincheans have made many and sharp Wars against the Emperors of the Southern China and at last subdu'd the whole and erected a new Race call'd Ivena as is before said which continu'd till it was brought under by the same Hunguvus The Chineses out of a natural Emnity to the Tartars say in derision of them That they live in Holes and Caves under Ground which is not so for they keep in very strong and well-wrought Tents which they use in stead of Houses being for the most part made of Silk or Stuff and so curiously Painted that they shine in the Sun like Looking-glasses and keep out the Rain so that none drops through Of these Persons of Quality have several which yet are so contriv'd that they seem but one In some parts of which the Wife and Children remain in others the Servants and some are for necessary uses as Kitchins and the like They relate That during the Reign of the Race of Ivena there were a hundred and twenty four Cities in this East-Tartary but whether there are so many now I cannot affirm in regard the Tartars themselves in China were not able to inform me All their Towns and Places are in a manner movable which the Latines call Horda with which and the Cattel and Families they remove from place to place changing according to the Season of the Year and pitching where the best Accommodation is to be had The Clothes of the poorer sort are made of Skins but the richer go clad in Silk and Cotton though there grows neither in the Province of Ninche but such among them as Trade come and buy it of the Chineses or exchange other Commodities for it as Skins of Wolves Foxes Beavers Otters Sables and the like The Men wear long Coats down to their Heels with narrow Sleeves and about their Middle is a broad Girdle with a Cloth fastned to it wherewith they wipe their Faces At their sides hangeth a Knife and two little Puâ—ses wherein they put Tobacco which is taken by them with great delight insomuch that the noblest Visitants are Treated with the same it being brought them lighted by a Servant of the House On the left side they wear a Hanger or Zable with the Edge turn'd forward and the Hilt behind insomuch that when they are on Horseback they can draw their Zables with great dexterity by laying the right Hand behind over their Backs upon the Hilt without holding fast or so much as touching the Scabbard In the Summer-time for coolness they wear Hats of Straw but in Winter Caps which come down over their Ears with an Edging of Fur about it The Soldiers wear commonly Iron Helmets upon their Heads differing very little in fashion from such as are us'd in Europe only they have no Fence for the Face In stead of Feathers they wear either a Horses Mayn or Tail dy'd red Their other defensive Arms are Iron Breast-pieces not made of one Piece but of several Plates fastned together with Nails so that they make a hideous noise when they are upon their March but especially the Horse Their offensive Arms are a Bows Arrows and Hanger for Guns or Muskets are not in use amongst them The Horse-men are generally clad in Black to make them look terrible having Boots on made of Horse-leather with thick Soles but no Spurs There are among them very few Foot-Soldiers for being generally good Horse-men they turn all their Forces into Cavalry who when they march observe this Order First two Horse-men with Colours upon their Backs Next to these follow two other Horse-men with Colours Then comes the Commander in Chief over the Cavalry After him five others the middlemost whereof carries the Emperor's Standard Then march all the rest of the Troop in order five a breast The Chineses have a high estimation of the Tartars for strength because therein they exceed them although they fall far short in the same to those of Europe They are whitish of Complexion not talkative but silent and well compos'd bred up to Arms from their Cradles which makes them such excellent Soldiers But at shooting with the Bow at a Mark they are
from the weight or incumbrance of all extraneous Concernments living in quiet and repose within the private Apartments or Withdrawings of his Palace is ador'd like a Deity and that not only by the Natives but of all the Kings that are subject unto the Empire of Tartary who undertake voluntary Iourneys or Pilgrimages unto him They adore him as the True and Living God and call him The Eternal and Heavenly Father offering a multitude of Presents and Oblations to him He sitteth in an obscure Chamber or Room of his Palace adorn'd with Gold and Silver and rendred resplendent by the multiplicite lustre of flaming Lamps in a lofty place upon a Couch which is cover'd with costly Tapestry unto whom Strangers at their approach fall prostrate with their Heads to the Ground and kiss him with incredible Veneration which is no other than that which is perform'd unto the Pope of Rome so that hence the fraud and deceit of the Devil may easily and plainly appear who by his innate malignity and hatred in way of abuse hath transferr'd as he hath done all the other Mysteries of the Christian Religion the Veneration which is due unto the Pope of Rome the only Vicar of Christ on Earth unto the superstitious Worship of barbarous People The Castle wherein the Great Lama inhabiteth is situate at the end of the City Barantola and is call'd by them Bietala a Draught whereof is express'd in the sixteenth Figure XVII and XVIII The Habit of the Kingdom of Necbal XIX A Northern Tarstar This Great Lama is of so great Authority throughout all Tartary that there 〈◊〉 no Kings Crown'd in any Place who doth not first send his Ambassadors with inestimable Presents to crave his Benediction as an happy Omen of his Entrance upon the Kingdom See what I have said at large in the preceding Discourse concerning the Honor conferr'd on him by the Imperial Monarch of Tartary and China where also I have demonstrated that this whole superstitious Worship of the Great Lama took its original from that famous Presbyâ—â— Iohn who had his Residence in this Kingdom of Tanchut But thus much shall suffice for the Great Lama They saw also strange Habited Women at Barantola which came thither out of the adjacent Kingdom of Coin The Noble Women braid or curl all theiâ— Hair in the manner of Hairlaces or small Bands and wreath it behind them on their Foreheads they wear a red Fillet beset with Pearls on the top of their Heads they bear a Silver Crown interlac'd with Turchoises and Coral Having left the Kingdom of Lassa or Barantola in a Months Voyage they came over the most high Mountain Langur which we have describ'd a little before unto the Kingdom of Necbal where they found nothing wanting 〈◊〉 to Humane Sustenance nor could any Good be wish'd them which they did not enjoy except the Light of the Gospel for they are all involv'd in 〈◊〉 thick Cloud of Heathenish Blindness The chief Cities of this Kingdom 〈◊〉 Cuthi and Nesti It is a Custom in this Country that if you drink to a Woman the other Men or Women that are in the Company pour in the Liquor Cha or 〈◊〉 Wine three times for them and in the time of Drinking affix three pieces 〈◊〉 Butter to the Brim of the Pot or Cup those that pledge or drink after them take them off again and stick them upon their Foreheads The King of Necbal shew'd himself extraordinary courteous to our Fathers by reason of a Present they bestow'd on him which was a Perspective-Glass and other very curious Mathematical Instruments with which he was so taken that he wholly determin'd with himself not to let them go which he had not done but that they made him a faithful Promise to return thither again which if they perform'd he promis'd to erect a House for their use and Exercise endow'd with most ample Revenues and also to grant them a plenary Power to introduce the Christian Law into his Kingdom Departing from Necbal they came to the Confines of the Kingdom of Maranga which is enclos'd in the Kingdom of Thebet whose Metropolis is Radoc the utmost Bound of the Voyage formerly undertaken by Father Andradas where they found many Marks of the Christian Faith in time past there Planted from the Names of Dominick Francis and Anthony by which the Men are call'd From hence they arriv'd at that first City of the Kingdom of the Mogor so well known unto the World by the Name of Hedonda and thence they came to Battana a City of Bengala situate on Ganges thence to Benares a City famous for an Academy of the Brachmans and at last to Agra the Imperial City of the Mogor where Father Albert Dorville broken with the Labors of his Travels and full or replenish'd with Merits leaving this Terrestrial Country departed as we piously believe unto the Heavenly Mansion in a middle Way between Europe and China CHAP. IV. Of the Voyage attempted by Father Amatus Chesaud a Frenchman Superior of the Residency of Isphahan for the discovery of an easie and ready Passage into China extracted out of his Letter written in the Persian Language and directed unto Father Athanasius Kircher The Letter is to this effect I Write not this Letter from Hispahan but in the Way being return'd from the City Hairat Sfahanum from which City it is almost a Year since I departed towards Baich wich is the Regal City of Usbeck that I might discover whether there were any possible way of passing through the foresaid Usbeck and Turkestan into Cathay and hence into China But indeed as I came hither with the Ambassador of Usbeck unto the Bounds of Kezalbax I found that Way both difficult and dangerous therefore I continu'd for some Months at Hairat which City was formerly call'd Sciandria and there I narrowly view'd the Place which the Ancients call'd Bachtra where there is a great University or Academy built by the Son of the Famous Tamerlang which notwithstanding is destroy'd by degrees and runneth to Ruin for want of Repair as also many other Edifices which were formerly there built about the same time in which that City was in the Hands of the Usbequi From this Place at length I came to the City Maxahad which others call Sancta where there is a fair Mesquit adorn'd with Gold In this Place I continu'd two Months and here Disputed with the Learned of whom there are many about the Law and I found that albeit they openly and abroad praise their own Sect yet they hold That others of a contrary Persuasion ought to observe the King's Law Their time is not as yet come I departed from this Place and came to Nixapor and Sabazuar which belong unto Chorasan from whence I pass'd through the Cities Setam Damgan and Iamnam and at last arriv'd at Kaxanum in the Province of Aracand which is thirty Farsang distant from Sfahanum This Tract of Land is for the most part barren
Design and that in taking accurate Maps and Sketches not onely of the Countreys and Towns but also of Beasts Birds Fishes and Plants and other Rarities never divulged as I am informed heretofore But now to remove some Obstructions and to clear the way that Posterity may not be bereav'd of the Fruit of these my Endeavors I find my self highly necessitated to relate what passed in this Undertaking with as much candour and brevity as the Work may possibly require But before I engage my self it seems also not amiss to set forth briefly the Division of the universal Globe and likewise the Etymology or Derivation of the word China the Condition of the Soil and the Extent thereof and lastly the ten Provinces of the fifteen into which that County divides it self and the Towns and Cities through which we did not pass The Terraqueous Globe comprehending Sea and Land Rivers and Lakes stands divided by modern Geographers into two Semi-Orbs viz. the Old and New World The Old contains Europe Asia and Africa the New America not much less in Extent to all those vast Regions discovered before named so from Americus Vesputius a Florentine but indeed first found out by Christopher Columbus a Genoese furnished out for so great an Expedition by Ferdinand and Isabel King and Queen of Castile and Aragon in the Year 1492. But five years after Americus Voyaging made his Approaches higher into those unknown Confines and so got by a lucky Hit or something in his Name the Honor of Denomination of the Moiety of the World from the prime Discoverer to whom so great a Glory belonged since vulgarly called The West-Indies not improperly the East being by Sea found by us about the same time Under our new World may also be comprised those vast Southern Coasts and Straights of Magellan first lighted on by Ferdinandus Magellanus in the Year 1520. in his Circumnavigation of the Universe which forty five years after Sir Francis Drake and next Sir Thomas Bendish Englishmen made a farther Inspection into and in the Year 1600. Oliver van Noord a Hollander pass'd but of later years a Spaniard Ferdinand de Quier out-shot them all by a more ample Discovery than all the former Asia not to make mention of any other Divisions of the World being impertinent to the following Discourse stands bounded on the North by the Tartarick Sea on the East with the great Indian Ocean called Eous and on the South with the same on the West with the Arabian Gulph and the Slip of Land situated betwixt this Gulph and the Mediterranean Sea the Extent of which from the Hellespont as far as Mallassa the utmost Town of Traffick in India consists of 1300 Dutch Miles the breadth from the Arabian Gulph to the Cape of Tabin 1220 Dutch Miles All Asia which the Ancients divide into Asia the Great and Asia the Less modern Computors part into five Divisions Persia the Turkish Empire India to which they cast in the adjacent Isles Tartary and China What concerns the Name of China or the farther part of Asia much Time and Pains have been spent and taken by several Historians both old and new as also by the Natives of the Countrey and Foreiners to give the true Derivation thereof and the several Names by which China has been formerly call'd to whom I shall refer my self to satisfie the curiosity of the Reader in this particular That these are the People whom Ptolemy calls Chineses both the Constitution of the Countrey and the Name by which it is known at this time may suffice to prove the truth thereof for that which in Spanish is writ China in Italian is called Cina in High-Dutch Tschina and in Low Dutch and Latin Sina The difference in the pronunciation of the word China and Sina betwixt us and the Spaniards is not much but in regard it falls somewhat hard to those People to pronounce the Ch they therefore make use of the Greek Letter χ. The Tartars call this Kingdom Catay and sometimes Mangin but this Name rather denotes the Inhabitants themselves then the Countrey for Mangin signifies in their Language a wild and unciviliz'd People and with this word the Tartars often deride the Chineses This Countrey was likewise formerly called Catay by Marcus Panwelz a Venetian who was the first Discoverer thereof in part But the most known Name by which that Kingdom is call'd at present by those of Europe is China The reason why that Kingdom has been called by so many several Names may be supposed to be this from an ancient Custom observed amongst them That whosoever gets the Sovereignty over them Presents the Kingdom with a new Name according to his pleasure Amongst the rest we read that formerly this farther part of Asia or China was called Thau Yu Tha Sciam Cheu as also Han Thau which signifies Boundless broad Yu Rest Tha Great Sciam Curious Cheu Perfect Han The Milky-Way Long before the Conquest of China by the Tartars in their last Invasion and the Deposing of the Emperor of China viz. when the Sovereignty of the Kingdom was in the Family of Ciu China was called by the Chineses Min which signifies Perspicuity or Brightness Afterwards they added to the word Min the syllable Ta and called it then Tamin or as some write Taming which signifies The Kingdom of great Brightness For above 300 years this Kingdom bore the Name of Taiâ—jven and at this time is called by the Tartars who possess the Kingdom under the Great Cham Taicing But though this Kingdom of China doth often change its Lord and Name the Chineses however have Time out of mind called it by two other particular Names as Chungchoa and Chungque the first whereof signifies The Middle Kingdom and the other The Middle Garden The reason why the Chineses gave their Kingdom these Names may be suppos'd to be this in regard that formerly they did verily believe that the Heaven was round the Earth four-square and in the middle Point thereof lay their Kingdom Wherefore when they first saw the Maps of Europe they took it very ill that their Kingdom was not placed in the middle but in the farther part of the East And therefore when Matthias Riccius a Iesuit had in China made a Map of the whole World he so ordered his Adulation that the Kingdom of China fell to be in the middle But most of the Chineses do now acknowledge this their great Error and blush convinc'd of so much Ignorance And though the Chineses themselves have thus called their Kingdom by several Names according as the Family which Govern'd over them hapned to change yet their Neighbors that live upon the Confines take no notice of their Alterations neither follow the Chineses therein for those of Couchenchina and Siam call this Kingdom Cin the Islanders of Iapan Than the Tartars Han and the Turks Saraceners and other Western People Cataium Some conceive that this Name is originally from Sioni in
9 hundred 49 Pounds of Raw Silk 71 hundred 2 thousand 4 hundred and 36 Rowls of Cloth made of Hemp 36 thousand 7 hundred and 70 Bales of Cottons 1 hundred 91 thousand 7 hundred and 30 Rowls of wrought Silk But the City of Hucheu buys off this Tax yearly for the Sum of 500 thousand Crowns The Provinces bring in likewise 1 Million 7 hundred 94 thousand 2 hundred and 61 Weight of Salt each Weight is to be reckon'd at 1 hundred 24 Pounds amounting in all to 1 hundred 87 Millions 6 hundred 88 thousand 3 hundred 64 Pounds 32 Millions 4 hundred 18 thousand 6 hundred 27 Trusses of Hay and Straw for the Kings Stables beside all other Taxes The other ten Provinces of China I did not see in my Iourney yet however I shall give you an Account of the Taxes which the great and lesser Cities thereof pay yearly to the Emperor their Names are these Zansi the second Province of the fifteen Xensi the third Honan the fifth Sucheu the sixth Huquang the seventh Chekiang the tenth Fokien the eleventh Quangsi the thirteenth Quicheu the fourteenth and Immam the fifteenth The second Kingdom of Zansi THis Province lies Westward of Peking and is neither so large nor populous but more Fruitful and of more Antiquity because if credit may be given to the Historians of China the Chineses derive from hence their first Rise and Original On the North this Province has for Confines the Great Wall which reaches from East to West through the whole Country behind which lies the Kingdom of Tamyn and the Sandy Wilderness of Samo The West side of this Province lies upon the Yellow River which runs from North to South and is separated by the same from the Province of Xensi This Province produces the sweetest and fairest Grapes of all Asia but the Chineses make no Wine of them but onely dry them and so bring them to the Market through all China In this Country of Zansi which is very remarkable and worthy of observation are through the whole Country great store of Fire-Wells even in the same manner as the Water-Wells are in Europe which they use for the dressing of Meat after this manner the Mouth of the Well is stopped very close and onely a place left open to set the Pot upon by which means the Pot boyls without any trouble This Province likewise produces good store of Coal which they dig out of the Hills as in England and at Luyk in the Netherlands which serves the Inhabitants for Fewel who likewise use Stoves in their Houses made after the manner of those in Holland In this Country of Zansi are 5 Capital Cities 92 small Cities and several Forts The 5 Capital Cities are Taiyuen Pingiaen Taitung Lugan and Fuencheu 1. Taiyuen Commands over 20 Cities Taiyuen Tayven Iucu Taco Ki Sinkin Congyven Ciaoching Venxui Loping Che Tingsiang Tai Utai Kiechi Cofan Fan Hing Paote and Hiang 2. Pingiaen Commands over 31 Cities as Pingyaen Siangling Hungtung Feuxan Chaoching Taiping Yoiang Ieching Kioiao Fuensi Pu Lincin Yungho Yxi Vanciuen Hocin Kiai Ganye Hia Venhi Pinglo Iuiching Kiang Yuenkio Ho Kie Hiangning Cie Taning Xeleu and Yangho Among these Pu Kiai Ho Kie and Cie are the chiefest 3. Taiâ—ung Commands over 11 Cities Taitung Hoaigien Hoenyuen Ing Xanin So Maye Guei Quangling Quangchang and Lingkieu whereof Ing So and Guei are the chiefest 4. Lugan Commands over eight Cities Lugan Caeneu Timlieu Siangheng Luching Hâ—quan Liching and Pingxun 5. Fuencheu Commands likewise over eight Cities Fuencheu Hiaoy Pingiao Kiakieu Ningâ—iang Lingxa Inugning and Lin. Beside these great Cities there are three other Corporations in this City as Sin Laao and Ca. These Towns are not much inferior to the Cities and so esteem'd by the Chineses but yet they are not preferred to that Dignity of the Cities though they have a Command over some lesser Towns For the safety of the Ways aud defence of the great Wall there are 14 strong Forts in this Country which are surrounded with strong Walls their Names are these Gueiguen Ieuguei Coguei Maye Vanglin Ianghon Caoxon Tienching Chinlu Cuigyuen Pinglin Chungtun Geutung and Tungxing The Pole or Register-Book of this Province reckons five hundred eighty nine thoâ—sand nine hundred fifty nine Families and five hundred eighty four thousand fifteen Fighting Men. That which this Country pays in Taxes yearly to the Emperor consists of twenty two hundred seventy four thousand and twenty two Bags of Rice fifty Pounds of fine Linnen four thousand seven hundred and seventy Silk-Stuffs four hundred and twenty thousand Weight of Salt and thirty five hundred forty four thousand eight hundred and fifty Bundles of Hay beside several other Taxes The third Kingdom of Xensi AMongst the Northern Dominions is this Xensi which is very great chiefly situated toward the West in 30 Degrees and borders upon the Kingdoms of Prester-Iohn Casker and Tibet which are call'd by one Name in the Chinese Tongue Sifan Westward the Borders extend beyond the Tartar Kingdom of Taniju betwixt which and this Countrey the Great Wall and some Forts make a separation which doth not run through all this Country but onely to the side of the Yellow River The remaining part of this Country situated on the other Bank of the River has no Wall for its defence but dry and barren Sand-fields and the Yellow River and sufficient Fortifications Eastward this Xensi is likewise Bounded with this Yellow River which runs through the Country Southward lie very high Mountains which are as strong Bulwarks and separate this Province from the Provinces of Honan Sucheu and Huquang Want of Rain makes this Country very dry but yet it produces great store of Wheat Barley and Turkish Corn but very little Rice The Beasts feed all Winter upon Corn. It abounds with Sheep and Goats which they shear three times ayear in the Spring in Summer and in Harvest and of the Wooll they make themselves Clothes In this Countrey they make great store of Musk which grows in the Navel of a Beast not much unlike to a young Hind the Flesh whereof the Chineses eat as other Meat When this Deer goes to Rutting the Cod swells like a Boil that is full of Matter which Exuperation consisting of a thin hairy Purse is then taken out with all its precious Stuff by the Natives True it is that all the Purses which are brought to us are not the right and pure Navels for the cunning Chineses know very well when they empty the Purse how to fill up the same again with counterfeit Musk. There is likewise Gold found in this Country which is not fetch'd from the Mines for those the Emperor will not suffer to be opened there being both Gold and Silver Mines but from the sides of Rivers and shallow Waters In this Country are eight Capital Cities a hundred and seven small Cities beside Castles and Forts The eight Capital Cities are these
done In this Island grows the Leaf Betel in great abundance much in request amongst the Iavaners who fetch whole Boats-full We made no long stay here but as soon as we had got our Provisions Aboard we set Sail to pursue our Voyage and on the 1. of Iuly came in sight of the large Continent leaving Couchinchina North North-West and about Noon we hâ—d the heighth of 20 Degrees and 6 Minutes we Sail'd along the Coast which was very pleasant This Couchinchina is part of the Kingdom of Gannan which is one of the neighbor Countries that are situated out of the Kingdom of China but yet belongs to the Chineses for under this Gannan is situated the Kingdoms of Tungking and Kianchi or Couchinchina both which were formerly call'd Nankiao The Emperor Haionus who was of the Family of Hana being a valiant Prince conquer'd first of all these Countries which he Planted and afterwards Govern'd the Inhabitants thereof according to the Laws and Manners of the Chineses This same Emperor was also the first who nam'd these Countries and the Inhabitants Kiaoch but afterwards the Family of Tanga call'd them by the Name of Kiaochians But it seems that the Chineses never made any account of these Countries in regard that the Inhabitants according to the Saying of the Chineses were wild and uncivil in their Conversation but others say they did it more out of fear because they knew very well that the Inhabitants far exceeded them in strength of Body and were desirous rather to live conformable to their own Laws and Customs and have their own King than submit their Necks under the Yoke of the Chineses At the beginning of the Reign of the Family of Taiminga for the space of 290 years these People were brought under the Lash of the Emperor Hunguus But this Country was afterwards made over to a petty King call'd Chin who soon was made away by his three Governors who were of the Family of Ly and so possess'd themselves of the Realm When the Emperor Iunglos observ'd the troublesom Condition of that Kingdom he caus'd two of the Governors to be put to Death but the third escap'd by flight and the Emperor afterwards reduced the Kingdom of Gannam into a Province but he had no sooner laid down his Arms but the Fugitive Ly began to appear again in the Field and made himself Master of the Kingdom which done he speedily sent Ambassadors to pacifie the Emperor At that time Sivanteus was Emperor a peaceable Man and more a Slave to his Pleasure than a Prince of his Countries This Emperor being weary of all these Mutinies and Troubles made over again this Country to this same Ly and install'd him as a petty Prince upon Condition that he should send to him every three years an Ambassador with great Presents And in this manner these Parts were divided from the Empire of China about the Year 1428. But these Countries notwithstanding all this grew very troublesom being full of Divisions so that at last they came to be divided into three Parts the first was call'd The Kingdom of Laos the second The Kingdom of Tunking and the third Couchinchina which at present are no other than part of the Provinces of Quangsi and Iunnan The Inhabitants of these three Kingdoms Laos Tunking and Couchinchina follow the Religion of the Chineses They likewise use the Chinese Characters but yet differ very much in Speech and Pronunciation from them These Countries are very fruitful in every thing belonging to the sustenance of Mankind among other innumerable Trees and Fruits there grows a Bean which makes an Oyl or Iuyce by the Portugueses call'd Rosamalia From hence comes likewise in great abundance the Eagle-Wood which is of a Purple colour and is known to the Spaniards by the Name of Lacca and us'd in China to dye and colour Silk-Stuffs It produces likewise good store of Linnen Silk and Cotton Among other sorts of Monkies here is also found one call'd Singsiing the manner of taking them in the Woods is to set Wine before them with which they being Fudled fall asleep and so are taken napping their Blood makes an excellent Purple Dye Upon the 14. we came in sight of the Island Maccoa and kept us by the heighth of 21 Degrees and 10 Minutes in the Evening we Anchor'd and the next Morning we set Sail. We saw lying upon the Shore several Boats but not one would come Aboard notwithstanding all the Signs we made to invite them so wondrous fearful they are of the Pyrate cokesing them who at that time held the Coast in continual Alarm and whom they undoubtedly took us to be Two days we Sail'd under this Island thence passing by the most famous and wealthy City of Maccoa and though we came not near it yet I shall relate what I have understood from others concerning the Magnificence of this Place whereof you have a Draught as it was taken at Sea Sailing thus by the City of Maccao we came to an Anchor under the Island of Goyers so call'd by the Name of Peter de Goyer Opon the 18. of the same Month we arriv'd about Sun-set only in company with the Yacht Koukerken for we lost the Yacht Bloemendael in the Storm upon the Coast of Couchinchina which came not till 48 days after us to Canton very safe into the Harbor of Heytamon and dropt our Anchor in the middle of the Bay at six and a half Fathom Water This Place is exceeding pleasant and most commodious for Trade on the Water side delightful Hills and Dales behind as is to be seen by the anâ—â—xed Print We were no sooner at Anchor but a Barque full of Soldiers Boarded us who in the Name of the Governor were sent to ask the occasion of our coming Hereupon the Ambassadors sent Hendrick Baron Ashore to acquaint him by word of Mouth with the occasion of our Arrival who when he came on Shore was conducted into his Bed-chamber where he was received very courteously and Treated by him who ask'd why the Hollanders did return and whether they were not about two years since expresly forbidden to come to Canton Six days after on the 24. came two Mandorins from Canton to view the Credentials they brought to the Great Cham and to that purpose they sent for the Ambassadors to the Governors House Hereupon the Ambassadors with all their Followers made up the River and came about Noon to the Village of Lamme where they went Ashore and were from thence conducted by the Master of the Ceremonies to the Governor's Palace At their Entry they found the Governor sitting at a high Table in the Hall betwixt the two Mandorins Guarded with Soldiers who civilly treated us and were serviceable unto us After Complements passed the Ambassadors shew'd their Credentials at a distance against which the Mandorins had nothing to object and then Chairs were set for the Ambassadors to sit down which being done the Mandorins and Governor began to ask
others of the Court in very rich Habits to our Lodgings about two a Clock in the Afternoon with Lanterns to conduct the Ambassadors who were only attended by six of their Followers the rest being order'd to stay at home When they came to the Court they were first conducted through the outward Gate and afterwards over a Quadrangle with a well-built Gate and plac'd upon the second Plain of the Court where we sat all Night in the open Air upon the bare Stones till Morning when his Majesty was to appear upon his Throne We were no sooner seated but the Ambassador of the Great Mogol accompanied with five Persons of Honor and about twenty Servants came and plac'd himself next to our Ambassadors as did also the Ambassadors of Lammas and Suytadsen next to whom also sat several great Lords of the Empire And because we were to continue in this Posture all Night in expectation of his Majesties appearance in the Morning early upon his Throne I shall defer a while acquainting the Reader with what pass'd upon that most glorious Day and in the mean time give you a Description of the Forein Ambassadors who were also with us in this Emperor's Court. The Ambassador of Suytadsen who may be properly call'd South-Tartars deserves here the first and chiefest Place being he was most in esteem in this Court and preferr'd before the rest I could not certainly learn his Business but only as they told me by guess That the King of Suytadsen Sent him with Presents to the Great Cham according to the Custom of their Country the Frontier People and Borderers using to pay such Homage to this their Grand Lord. The Mogol Ambassador of whose Business and Request we have already made mention had a very rich blue Silk Coat on so richly embroider'd that it look'd like massie beaten Gold which hanging down almost to his Knees was girt about his Waste with a Silk Girdle with great rich Tassels at both ends he wore neat Buskins of Turky Leather and a large Turbant of several Colours The Empire of the Great Mogol who had sent this Ambassador to the Great Cham comprehends properly the Northern part of East-India or the Country situate between Mount Caucasus now call'd Delauguer and the Sea beetweeâ— the River Ganges and Indus This Empire call'd Mogol had its Name from the Tartar Kings who formerly made themselves Masters of it and is divided into several Kingdoms though some of them belong to other Princes The chiefest Kingdoms over which the Great Mogol properly Commands are Cambaya Dely Sanque Mandro and Bengala This great Prince commonly keeps his Court in the City of Dely. All the Countries over which the Great Mogol Commands are very fruitful in the product of all manner of Cattel and Fruits as Rice Corn Wax Silk Sugar and Cotton and all sorts of Spices which are brought from thence in great abundance Upon the Mountains are found the Onyx Stone Diamonds and other Precious Gems It is held for certain that this Great Mogol can bring into the Field in a very short time three hundred thousand Fighting Men and five thousand Elephants Most of the Inhabitants are Mahumetans and other Idolaters In those Parts there are also abundance of Iews who drive a subtle Trade amongst them and some Abyssine Christians allur'd thither by a profitable Commerce The Ambassadors of the Lammas was Cloth'd in Yellow his Hat much like a Cardinals with broad Brims at his side hung a Crucifix which these Church-men commonly carry about with them by which they say their Devotions after the manner of the Roman Catholicks Those of Lammas are a sort of religious People who had liv'd a long time in China but the last Emperor of China before the Tartars conquer'd it had banish'd them his Country from whence they went and settled themselves in Tartary where they had the free Exercise of their Religion Now these banish'd People had sent this Ambassador to the Great Cham with Request that they might have leave to return and Exercise their Devotions as formerly What success he had in his Business I could not learn but his Reception at the Emperor's Court was very Friendly and Civil Now I shall proceed to relate what pass'd during our stay in the Emperor's Palace At the Court-Gate in which we sat expecting the Dawn we saw first three black Elephants gallantly adorn'd after the Chinese manner standing there for the greater State as Centinels They had well girded upon their Backs gilded Towers artificially built and beautifi'd with Carv'd Works and Figures The concourse of People was here so great as if the whole City had been throng'd together in this one place the Gates were also kept with an incredible number of the Emperor's Life-guard all of them in very rich Habits after the Tartar fashion By day-break all the Grandees who likewise repair'd thither over Night came gazing and looking upon us with great admiration as if we had been some strange Africk Monsters but they demean'd themselves very civilly without giving us the least Affront About an hour after a sign was given at which all started up on the sudden as if there had been an Alarm when the two Tartar Lords who usually were sent to the Ambassadors came and conducted them with their Followers through another Gate into a second Court-yard guarded round with Tartar Soldiers and Courtiers and from thence to a third Court which was the innermost where the House of the Emperor's Throne stood and the Lodgings for the Great Cham his Wife and Children This Court which contains four hundred Paces in the square was lin'd on all sides with a strong Guard all of them in rich Coats of crimson-colour'd Sattin On either side of the Throne stood a hundred and twelve Soldiers each whereof bore a several Flag and likewise wore colour'd Habits sutable to his Ensign only they had all black Hats with yellow Feathers Next to the Emperors Throne stood twenty two Gentlemen each with a rich yellow Skreen or Umbrello in his Hand resembling the Sun next to these stood ten other Persons each holding a gilt radiant Circle in his Hand resembling the Sun next to these stood six others with Circles imitating the Moon at the Full after these were standing sixteen other Persons with Half-Pikes or Poles in their Hands hung full of Silk Tassels of several colours near to these stood thirty six more each holding a Standard curiously adorn'd with Dragons the Emperor's Coat of Arms and other such Monsters after the Chinese fashion In this manner were both sides of the Emperor's Throne guarded and adorn'd besides an infinite number of Courtiers all of them in very rich Habits of one Colour and Silk as if a Livery which added very much to to the Splendor of the Place Before the Steps leading to the Emperor's Throne stood on each side six Snow-white Horses most curiously adorn'd with rich embroider'd Trappings and Bridles beset with Pearls Rubies and other Precious
Quarter so that they are all continually busie about weighty Affairs but the number and good order of the Officers very much facilitates their Work for in each Council is a President whom they call Ciu who has two Assistants one on his right side call'd Coxilam and another on his left term'd Yeuxilam These three both at Court and through the whole Empire have the highest Dignity except those who sit in the supremest Council call'd Colao Beside these three Principal Councellors there are belonging to each Council ten others who differ but little in Dignity from the rest being always employ'd together with a great number of inferior Officers as Notaries Scribes Secretaries and Clerks The Iesuit Semedo in his Relation of China mentions several other Councils whereof some have a like Authority with the before-mention'd six all which are call'd in the Chinese Tongue Cien Cim and consist of several Offices belonging particularly to the King's Houshold The first of these is call'd Thai Lisu that is The Council of the great Audite This Office seems like the great Chancery of the Kingdom and therein all weighty Affairs receive a determination it consists of thirteen Mandorins one Councellor two Assistants and ten under-Officers The second is call'd Quon Losu and provides for their Imperial Majesties Tables and for all the Expences of the Emperor's Court. This Council has one Councellor two Assistants and six Officers The third call'd Thaipocusu has the Power of the Emperor's Stables and makes provision of all Post-Horses for publick Use and Service It consists of one Councellor and six Officers Beside all these there is yet another Council higher than all the rest and of the greatest Dignity having Place next the Emperor in all publick Solemnities Those that sit in this Council are call'd Colaos being seldom above four or six in number and the most select Persons of all the other Councils and of the whole Empire and are honor'd and reverenc'd accordingly No private Affairs are brought to them for they only mind the Publick Good and Government sitting with the Emperor in private Council for the above-mention'd six Councils intermeddle not with the Affoirs of the State as to make any Conclusion upon them they being only to Debate and Consult and afterwards by way of Petition to offer their Advice to the Emperor who either altereth or confirmeth what they have done according as he sees cause But in regard he will not seem wholly to relie upon his own Iudgment some of the chiefest Philosophers always attend upon this Colaos or Council and come daily to the Palace to answer Petitions which are brought continually to the Emperor in great numbers This last Conclusion the Emperor Signeth with his own Hand that so afterwards his Command may be Executed There are yet two Councils more whereof the one is call'd Choli and the other Tauli each consisting of above sixty Persons all choice Philosophers and wise Men whose Fidelity and Prudence both the Emperor and People sufficiently have approv'd and therefore they hold them in great honor and esteem With these his Majesty adviseth upon all extraordinary and weighty Affairs but more especially when any thing has been committed against the Laws Beside these there are several other Councils whereof the chiefest is call'd Han Lin Yven where are employ'd none but Learned Men who busie themselves with no Affairs of the Government yet exceed all in Dignity except such as sit at the Helm Their Charge is to take care of the Emperor's Writings to compile Year-Books and write Laws and Orders From among these are chosen Governors and Tutors for the Princes they only are concern'd in Matters of Learning wherein as they grow more and more excellent they mount by several Steps to the highest degree of Honor coming afterwards to be employ'd in Places of the greatest Dignity in the Court neither is any chosen into the great Colao who hath not first been of this Council They delight in Poetry and get a great deal of Money by their Writings as in making of Epitaphs Poems and the like to pleasure their Friends and very happy he esteems himself that can obtain such a favour of them The Government of the City Nanking where the Chinese Emperors formerly kept their Courts is the same with that of Peking save that at Nanking the great Council of the Colao is not in being but the Esteem and Authority of the rest of the Councils here is as much eclipsed for want of as at Peking 't is advanc'd by the Emperor's Presence Thus far we have spoken of the Government in general In the next place we will treat of particular and Provincial Iurisdictions The whole Empire is divided into fifteen Provinces in the principal Cities whereof the chiefest and supreme Courts of Iudicature reside differing little in Method and Rule from those of Peking and Nanking and so not consequently one from another The Regiment of each Province is committed to the care and fidelity of two Persons whom they call Pucinsu and Manganzasu the first whereof intermeddles only with Civil Affairs and the other is altogether concern'd in Criminal Matters They have both their Seats of Iudicature in the Chief Cities of their Province and live in great Magnificence having beside several Officers assistant unto them as also the chiefest Magistrates call'd Tauli who in regard they Command over some other inferior Cities it often happens that they are absent from the Metropolis of the Province to take care of their Employments All the fifteen Provinces as has been already said are subdivided into several other less Portions which the Chineses call Fu over each of which is appointed a Governor call'd Gifu These Divisions are again proportion'd into great and small Cities the first whereof they call Ceu and the last Hien each hath a particular Magistrate which in the great Cities are call'd Ciceu and in the less are nam'd Cihien for Ci signifies To Govern Every Principal Governor of these Cities is aided by three Councellors who assist them with Advice in all their Affairs and Undertakings The first is call'd Hun Chim the second Chu Phu and the third Tun Su and have their particular Courts and Iudicature but the Governor over the whole Division has no more Authority in the Place of his Residence than in the other Cities under his Command True it is he may condemn a Malefactor to die but he cannot put the Sentence in Execution without the consent of the rest that are join'd in Commission with him But in regard an Account must be given of the whole management of Affairs and the Transactions of all the Provinces at the Court at Peking therefore in each Province there are appointed two other great Officers by the Court who in eminency of Honor and Grandeur of Commission exceed the rest The one of these always resides in some of the Provinces and is call'd Tutang the other is sent yearly from the Court at Peking and
treats of the same Subject with those other five And these nine Books are all that are to be found in China amongst the Booksellers out of which all others are compos'd And certainly therein are contain'd most excellent Rules and Directions for the well ordering of all Civil Affairs and such as have proved to the very great advantage of the Empire of China For which cause a Law was made by the ancient Kings That whosoever would be a Learned Man or so reputed must extract the principal Ground-work of his Learning from these Books Nor is it enough to understand the true meaning and sense of the same but he must likewise get them by heart and be able to repeat a considerable part thereof if he will be thought to have arriv'd at an eminent pitch of Learning There are no Publick Schools in all China though some Writers have erroneously told us the contrary but every Person chuses his own Master by whom he is taught in his House at his own Charge And in regard of the great difficulty in Teaching the Chinese Characters in respect of their vast number and variety it is impossible for one to teach many several Persons and therefore every Master of a Family takes an Instructer into his House for his Children of whom if there be two or three to learn they are as many as one Tutor can well teach All such as are found upon Examination to have made good Progress in Philosophy arise to Promotions by three Degrees of Learning The first is call'd Sieucai the second Kiugin the third Cinfu The first Degree of Learning call'd Sieucai is given in every City by a certain Eminent Learned Person appointed by the Emperor for that purpose and according to his Office bears the Name of Tihio This Tihio goes a Circuit through all the Towns of his Province on purpose to Promote Learned Men to this Degree As soon as he is come into any City he makes known his arrival whereupon all such as stand for this Preferment address themselves unto him to be examined and if he find them qualified he immediately prefers them to this first Step of Learning and that their Worth may be taken notice of for a particular Badge of their Dignity they wear a Gown Bonnet and Boots in which Habit none are permitted to go but such as are in this manner become Graduates They enjoy likewise several Honorable Privileges and Immunities and are preferr'd to considerable Employments in the Government The second Degree of Honor to which the Learned Chineses are preferr'd is call'd Kiugin which is given with much more State than the former and is conferr'd only upon such as they judge to be most deserving and this Promotion is made but once in three years and perform'd after this manner In each Capital City is a great and well-built Palace encompass'd with high Walls and set apart only for the Examination of the Scholars In this Place are several Apartments and Mansions for the use of Examiners when they come to Supervise the Scholars Works Beside these Apartments there are at least a thousand Cells in the middle of the Palace but so small that they will only contain only one Person a little Table and a Bench In these no one can speak to his Neighbor nor be seen by him When the King's Examiners are arriv'd in the City they are lock'd up apart in this Palace and not suffer'd to Discourse with any whatsoever while they are there When the time of Examination is come to which are appointed three whole days namely the ninth twelfth and fifteenth Days of the eighth Month then are the Writings of the Scholars with great Iudgment narrowly Examin'd and several Questions propounded to be resolv'd by them The third Degree is call'd Cinsu and is equal with that of Doctor of Divinity Law or Physick in Europe and this is conferr'd likewise every third year and to them only in the Imperial City of Peking To this Honor can only three hundred out of the whole Empire arrive and the Examination of them before they are chosen is perform'd by the King's Examiners in the same Method and State as the former And such as attain to this heighth of Honor by their Learning are preferr'd to the highest Places of Dignity in the Empire and are had in great Esteem and Reputation by the People CHAP. III. Of several Chinese Handicraft-Trades Comedians Iuglers and Beggers THe Chineses are not altogether without some Experience and Skill in Architecture although for neatness and polite Curiosity their Building is not to be compar'd with that in Europe neither are their Edifices so costly or durable in regard they proportion their Houses to the shortness of Life building as they say for themselves not for others And this surely is one reason why the Chineses cannot comprehend nor imagine the costly and Princely Palaces which are in Europe and when they have been told that some of the said Edifices have stood for many Ages they seem as it were amazed thereat But if they consider'd the true Reasons of such continuance they would rather applaud and imitate than wonder for that which makes our Building last so long is because we make deep Foundations whereas in China they dig no Foundations at all but lay the Stones even with the surface of the Ground upon which they build high and heavy Towers and by this means they soon decay and require daily Reparations Neither is this all for the Houses in China are for the most part built of Wood or rest upon woodden Pillars yet they are cover'd with Tyles as in Europe and are contriv'd commodiously within though not beautiful to the Eye without however by the curiosity of the People they are kept very clean and neat Their Temples are most curiously built some whereof in solitary places near the High-ways to the great accommodation of Travellers They are hung full of Images and heavy Lamps which burn continually in memory of one or other that liv'd well and died happily These People have made no small progress in several Sciences by their early being acquainted with the Art of Printing for though those of Europe do therein exceed the Chineses having reduc'd the same to more exactness and certain Method yet says Trigautius in the fourth Chapter of his first Book The use of the Printing-Press was much sooner in China than in Europe for it is most certain that the same has been in use amongst the Chineses for five Ages past nay some stick not to affirm that they us'd Printing before the Birth of Christ. Mercator in his great Atlas writes That the Printing-Press and the use of Cannon are of so great Antiquity in China that it is not known who was the Inventor of them All which if it were taken for granted yet nevertheless they are too large in saying That That Printing has been us'd by them ever since their Country hath been call'd the Empire or Kingdom of China
loss of it The Tartars by this means being put to a stand having enrich'd themselves with Booty destroy'd some thousands of poor Creatures with the Sword and burnt down their Dwellings to the Ground retreated back to their old Quarters in the Province of Leaotung During these Troubles the Emperor Vanlieus died in the Year 1620. After whose Death his Son Taichangus a valiant and prudent Prince succeeded who by the Conduct of his Affairs in a short time gave sufficiently to understand what good Services his Country was to expect from him had he not been unfortunately cut off by an untimely Death in the fourth Month of his Reign To whom was Successor his Son Thienkius a gallant Person and no ways inferior to his Father for Vertue and Courage This Monarch finding the unsetledness and danger of his Affairs made it his chiefest Concern to contract Friendship and support his Government with the Favor and Affection of his Neighbors for he had taken notice by experience how much the Empire of China had suffer'd by living always at great variance with the Tartar Kings of Ninche which border'd upon him In the first place therefore he endeavor'd to win the Favor of the King of Corea who had formerly sent to his Grandfather a Supply of twelve thousand Men to aid and assist him in this War but they being most of them kill'd and wounded he doubted lest this might make him take part against him and joyn with the Tartar for prevention whereof and to satisfie the King in every scruple he immediately sent an Ambassador to him to return him thanks for those great Succors he had sent and withal signifying his extraordinary Grief and Sorrow for the great loss which had fall'n upon the afore-menâ—ion'd Aids in that War but that he hoped in a short time to retaliate upon the Enemy the Wrongs they had done to him and his Kingdom And that his Embassy might be the more grateful he likewise sent several rich Presents and promis'd him his Assistance where and whensoever he should have occasion to make use of it But this friendly Message look'd not only for verbal Returns for it was design'd as a Motive to procure more Succors from him which without doubt he had reason to endeavor in regard the People of this Island of Corea which lies very near to Iapan have out of the Neighborhood far greater Strength than the Chineses And now craving leave for a little digression which may not be impertinent in regard there has been often mention made of this Island of Corea and the Inhabitants thereof I shall describe the same in short and all that is worth observation in the same It is unto this day doubted by those of Europe whether Corea be an Island or firm Land but according to the opinion of the best Writers it is a hanging Island surrounded with Water on all parts except the uttermost part which is joyn'd to the firm Land for though Trials have been made to Sail round about yet it could never be done as some People seem to affirm to us from their own experience though some there are that affirm the contrary But this Error proceeds from a mistake of a certain great Island call'd Fungina situaâ—e to the Southward of it to be Corea However it be this truth is most certain that all the Chinese Writers affirm Corea to be firm Land and joyning to the Kingdom of Ninche in Tartary Another mistake may arise from the varieâ—y of the Name given to it for the Chineses call it Chaosien therein following the Iapanners though by us of Europe it is call'd Corea Toward the North it borders upon the Kingdom of Ninche on the North-West it has for Confine the River Yalo the rest is surrounded and wash'd with the Sea The whole Island is divided into eight Provinces or Counties The middlemost and accounted the first bears the Name of Kinki wherein is situaâ—â— the Chief City of Pingiang the Court of the Kings The second toward the East is call'd Kiangyven but heretofore Gueipe The third situate toward thâ— West is now known by the Name of Hoangchui but was formerly call'd Châ—â—sien the Name at this day proper to the whole Island The fourth situate â—â—â—ward the South now call'd Civenlo was formerly nam'd Pienhari The fiâ—th also Southerly but inclining to the East is call'd Kingxan The sixth toward the South-West is Changing The seventh toward the North-East has the Name of Pingan In these Counties are several populous and rich Cities which for fashion and strength differ very little from those in China and built for the most part four-square The Country is very well Peopled throughout the whole having but one Form of Government not at all differing in Habit and using one and the same Form both of Speech and Writing Their Religion is the same with those of China holding the transmigration of the Soul out of one Body into another They all adore one Idol call'd Fe whereof I have already made mention The Bodies of their dead Friends they bury not till three years be fully elapsed and then they put them into very fine Coffins after the manner of the Chineses glu'd up so very close that no scent can strike through They give a greater liberty to their Women than the Chineses for they admit of them into any Company whereas the other will hardly suffer them to stir abroad Here also the Son or Daughter may Marry whom they think fit without asking the consent of Father or Mother which is quite contrary to the use of the Chineses and indeed all other civiliz'd People This Island is very fruitful in the product of all manner of Fruits necessary for the sustenance of Life especially of Wheat and Rice whereof there are twice a year plentiful Harvests Here also are made several sorts of Paper and curious Pencils of Wolves Hair which the Chineses and other neighboring People as well as themselves use in Writing Here grows likewise the Root Guiseng and as is reported are several Gold-Mines But notwithstanding all these Advantages of natural Commodities wherewith this Place abounds yet the Inhabitants thereof drive no Trade with any other forein People but only those of China and Iapan And thus much shall suffice to be spoken of Corea we will now return to give an Account of the sequel of the Wars The Chinese Emperor after his Embassy to the King of Corea to prevent the further Invasion of the Tartars and the better to oppose them muster'd several Troops rais'd for his assistance out of the fifteen Provinces or Kingdoms of the Empire and sent very great Armies towards Leaotung And the better to furnish such vast Armies with Provisions he caus'd an extraordinary great Fleet of Ships to be Equipp'd in the famous Port of Thiencin which were wholly employ'd to carry Provisions by Sea from all parts of China for their supply by the exact performance and observing whereof they had no want of any
setling of good Garrisons in all Places march'd back in triumph to Peking where he was receiv'd with great joy And now having thus subdu'd the Rebels and made all things to become peaceable and quiet he bends all his Thoughts to accomplish the Match between the Emperor his Nephew and the Daughter of the King of West-Tartary and to that end he takes a Iourney thither in Person and through his crafty Behaviour at last obtain'd his Suit and also Licence for the Exportation of a great number of Horses The Wedding was kept in very great State for the Tartar Kings maintain in Marriage the same Customs with those of Europe Matching only with the Daughters of the highest Quality whereas the Chinese Emperors were wont to chuse only for Beauty making no difference between a Person of Quality and one of a mean Extraction for if the Face do but please them they mind not the Quality as a testimony whereof most true it is that the Father of the last Chinese Empress maintain'd himself by making Shoes of Straw But to return to the three Vice-Roys who were made by the Tartars Governors over the three Provinces of Fokien Quantung and Quangsi and sent with three Armies to reduce Quantung drive out the Emperor Iunglieus and pacifie the Disorders in the Southern Provinces They took their Iourney through a Country which the Tartar Emperor had given to some Tartars for the native Chineses by reason of their Conspiracy were all put to the Sword to inhabit and cultivate the same they requested of the Vice-Roys that they might accompany them upon the Way for in truth these People ever had an aversion to Husbandry loving their Arms better than the Plough or Spade But two of the Vice-Roys deni'd their Request without leave from the Emperor the third only call'd Kengus being of a high and lofty Spirit permitted them to follow him so they abandon'd the Country and exchang'd their Spades and Ploughs for Boughs and Arrows following their Country-men with great joy As soon as the Emperor heard of it he writes a Letter to Kengus with express Command to send them back to their Husbandry but Kengus taking no notice thereof suffer'd them to continue their March with him whereof the Emperor having a second time notice in a great Rage sends to the chief Tutang or Governor of the Southern Provinces who held his Court at Nanking either to imprison or kill Kengus The Tutang forthwith obeys the Emperor's Order for after the three Vice-Roys were arriv'd at Nanking and had been nobly Treated by the Tutang he pulls out his Letter and Order shewing them to Kengus who knowing that no Excuse would be admitted goes immediately and hangs himself however his Son who accompanied him in the Wars succeeded him in his Place by Order of the Emperor After this the other two Vice-Roys through the Provinces of Xantung Kiangsi and Nanking at last arriving at Quantung with an intention according to their Commission to reduce that Province and to force Iunglieus to flie thence and indeed no sooner was the Report of the coming of these three Armies spread through the Countries but most Places submitted freely only the Chief City of Canton or Quancheu endur'd a long and hard Siege and made great and valiant opposition yet was at last taken by Treachery in the Year 1650. all the Inhabitants being put to the Sword and the City levell'd with the Ground After the taking of Canton all the adjacent Cities and Places sent Ambassadors to the Vice-Roys with Promises of Submission if they might have their Lives spar'd which was freely granted them Then the Vice-Roy march'd with his Army to the City Chaiking where the Emperor Iunglieus kept his Court at that time who hearing of his coming durst not stay for him but left the City and Province and fled to that of the Dominion of Quangsi but being narrowly and closely pursu'd he was necessitated to betake himself to the Confines of the Kingdom of Tungking where what became of him is not since that time certainly known In the Year 1651. died the faithful Uncle of the Tartar Emperor to the great grief and lamentation of all People for he was a Prince of great Valour Prudence and Experience and to whose happy Conduct the Conquest of China is chiefly to be attributed Not only the Tartars but the Chineses themselves lov'd and fear'd him for his Understanding in Martial Affairs and his otherwise civil Comportment and Integrity And as good Men always die too soon so was he hardly cold but great Divisions hapned in the Court by means of one of the Emperor's Brothers call'd Quintus who would take upon him the Guardianship and Direction of the young Emperor against the wills and minds of all the rest for they were of opinion that the Emperor Xunchius being now arriv'd at the Age of sixteen years was sufficiently qualifi'd to take upon himself the Management of all the Affairs of the State But ambitious Quintus alledg'd that the Emperor was not yet of an Age capable to take upon him the great and weighty Affairs of the Empire and therefore insisted that the Direction and Management of Affairs might be committed to him till the young Prince should attain his full Age But finding that he was generally oppos'd by all the Grandees of the Court and that it was impossible for him to attain his Ends he at last concurr'd with the Opinions of all the rest and the young Cham of Tartary is Crown'd and the whole weight of the Government unanimously thrown upon his Shoulders which he manag'd with such Iudgment that in a short time he gave sufficient proof of his Abilities and not only his desire but intention to do Iustice insomuch that when some dangerous Counsels which his deceased Uncle had in his Life-time given came to break out he caus'd his dead Body to be taken out of the Tomb and be most shamefully misus'd and the Tomb to be broken in pieces nor ended he there for those of his Uncle's Relations who were privy and consenting to the said Counsel were likewise handled with extreme severity Thus far have I spent in setting forth particularly how and in what manner the Robber Licungzus first over-ran China and after his Expulsion how the Tartars at last conquer'd the same Now you are to remember that contemporary with Licungzus was another Thief call'd Changlianchus the remaining Transactions of whose Villany whereof we have already in part made mention I shall now relate And indeed when I call to mind the Cruelties committed by this Monster in Mans shape I am as one deprived of his Senses for his Actions were so dismal and horrid that whoever hears of them will be fill'd with stupefaction and amazement This Robber Changlianchus plunder'd and ruin'd several Provinces putting the Inhabitants to unspeakable Tortures to make them confess where they had hid their Wealth and Goods he was greatly delighted to put out Peoples Eyes and to see
that doth imposes some glorious Title on the Empire according to his own will and pleasure So in Times past we read that it was call'd Tan which is to say An Empire without Bounds other times Yu that denoteth Rest or Repose then Hiu from the Name of a great Duke I find it also call'd Sciam as if you should say A most Adorn'd Kingdom Cheu signifieth A Kingdom that exceedeth all other Kingdoms in Perfection also Han by which word they denominate the Milky-Path whence it cometh to pass that almost each several Nation doth describe it by the imposition of proper and different Terms Now at this Day it is call'd Ciumquo and by some Ciunhoa whereof the former signifieth A Garden by reason of its pleasantness and abundance of delightful things and the latter implieth The Middle because the Chineses suppose their Kingdom is situate in the midst of the Earth which also they will have to be four-square This whole Empire is divided into fifteen Kingdoms or Provinces bounded or terminated in some places by vast Rivers and in others by inaccessible Rocks and Mountains Of which Provinces nine are reckon'd in the South part and six in the North. Nature in a manner hath contriv'd all this complex of Kingdoms unaccessible unto all others on the East and South the Ocean is scarcely Navigable by reason of the violence of the Tydes and on the West the craggy Ridges of the Mountains admit of no passage and on the North it is at this Day fortifi'd partly by a Desart of an immense vastness and partly by a Wall of nine hundred Italian Miles erected by King Xio about two hundred Years before the Incarnation of our Saviour by the work of 1000000 Men in the space of five Years to restrain the Incursion of the Tartars so that being defended by so many Fortifications it relieth on its own weight If you do but only observe the Wall it is a Work that will cause an amazement which without doubt if the Ancients had arriv'd unto the knowledge of they would have reckon'd it amongst the seven Wonders of the World But let us now subjoin the Names of the Kingdoms or Provinces The Northern Kingdoms of the Empire of China are Honan Xensi Xansi Xantum Peking and Leautum The Southern Kingdoms are Canton or Quantung Quangsi Yunnan Fukien Kiangsi Suchuem Utquang Chekiam and Nankim That I may comprehend all in brief first I shall annex a Geographical Scheme or Map of the whole Empire divided into fifteen Provinces that you may more clearly discover the Situation of each and that we may not appear to have let slip any thing memorable in reference to the Cities Mountains Rivers Lakes and other Occurrences worthy of observation I have here prefix'd this Geographical Table which containeth a Description of all the Kingdoms from which as from an alone Compendium you may find whatsoever presenteth it self worthy of Consideration CHAP. II. IN the Year 1625. when in Siganfu the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Xensi in a certain Village a Trench was digg'd for the fit Foundation of an Edifice or Building it so hapned That in the casting up of the Earth the Laborers found a Stone Table worthy of note for its Chinesian Writing which when they had digg'd out of the Ground they measur'd it's quantity and found it in length nine handfuls and a half in breadth five and in thickness about one whereupon was curiously Engraven a Cross. Those who studiously view'd it report That the Cross was bent inwards like to the Lilies in the manner of that which is to be seen at Meliapore in India on the Sepulchre of St. Thomas the Apostle and not much unlike that which the Knights of the Order of St. Iohn of Ierusalem bore partly hanging on their Necks and partly sew'd to their Garments and Cloaks Under this Cross followeth the Title of the Inscription express'd throughout the whole superficies of the Stone in the Chinesian Language and Character as is manifest from the Figure adjoin'd And as the Chineses are carried as it were by a certain natural propensity unto things curious so also the first Report of the finding of this Stone attracted a great multitude of their Learned Men who resorted thither from all Parts The Governor of the Place being mov'd with the strangeness of this Monument having seriously contemplated the venerable Antiquity of it that he might allure and draw the People from all Parts by the Fame thereof for the Benefit and Reputation of the City plac'd it on a Table or Pedestal curiously wrought within the Court of the Temple of the Bonzii and erected a Roof over it partly that it might receive no damage by the injury of Time and also that as many as were Spectators of this unusual Monument might read examine and describe it at their own leisure And because that on the Margents there were discover'd Characters unknown to the Chineses intermix'd with those of their own they were much concern'd to know what they related unto and at last were satisfi'd by the diligence of our Society as it will appear more at large in the following Discouse Leo the Mandorin being now instructed in the Christian Faith first of all others divulg'd it exactly describ'd unto the whole Kingdom for the great advantage of the Christian Religion which he hop'd might accrue from thence which coming to the Hands of the Fathers of our Society when they had read it they could not sufficiently admire the Providence of the Divine Majesty that should condescend so far to disclose a Monument of so great Concern for the Conversion of the Heathen in this novel Vintage of Christ wherefore not to conceal their Ioy they betook themselves to Siganfu the great Metropolitan City of Xensi that they might be ocular Spectators of it of which the first was Father Alvares Samedus a Portuguese whose words I shall the rather alledge by how much he was the more engag'd unto me by the strict tye of Friendship whilst he remain'd at Rome Procurator or Provincial where he related to me in a familiar Conference all the Observations he had made concerning this Monument Now he thus relateth the whole Circumstance in his History of the Affairs of China Publish'd in Italian pag. 158. Three Years after in the Year 1628. there went some Fathers to that Province upon occasion of a Mandorin being a Christian whose Name was Philip who was going thither those Fathers by the help of the Mandorin erected both a Church and a House in the Metropolis of Siganfu that since our Blessed God who would that so fair a Memorial of a hold taken of his Divine Law in that Country should be discover'd he might also be serv'd and the Restoration of the same Faith Instituted in the same Place 'T was granted to me to be of the first and I fancied that Mansion happy because of seeing the Monument and when I got thither I car'd not for
inhabit And in the eighth Part Line 18. he saith That a great quantity of Gold is gather'd out of these Mountains and divers sorts of Precious Stones and that there is a great Monarch that Ruleth over these Countries All which are agreeable to the Empire of the Great Cham as Marcus Paulus Venetus an Eye-witness in his first Book Chap. 64. delivereth in these words Departing from the Province of Egriaia towards the East the Way leadeth unto Tenduc it is better to read it Tanchut Now Tanchut is a Kingdom of Tartary which comprehendeth many other Kingdoms as the Kingdom of Lasa or that which the Tartars call Barantola the Kingdoms of Nethel Tibeth Maranga and others as I shall shew anon together with the Desart Kalmack which is bounded by the Wall of the Chineses and most Geographers confound this Kingdom with Cathay in which are many Cities and Tents where also that great Emperor term'd Presbyter Iohn so famous throughout the whole World was wont to reside But now that Province is Tributary to the Great Cham having a King of the Progeny of Presbyter Iohn and although there are many Idolaters and Mahumetans yet the greatest part of the Province embraceth the Christian Faith and these Christians are the Chief in this Province especially there is a certain Nation in the Province call'd Argon which is more subtle and eloquent than the other People here are also the Regions of Gog and Magog which they term Lug and Mongug in these Places is found the Stone Lazuli that maketh the best Azure In these Mountains also are great Provinces Mines of Silver and various sorts of wild Beasts All which aptly consent with the Description of the Arabick Geographer before alledg'd Also he thus writeth concerning the Altitude of the Mountains Iagog and Magog in his first Book Chap. 27. Hence if you travel to the Eastern Quarter you must ascend for three whole Days up the steep Rocks of Caucasus until you come to a most high Mountain than which there is not an higher in the World and there also appeareth no Bird by reason of the Cold and the over high Elevation of the Earth which can afford no Food unto Animals And if at any time Fire he kindled there it becometh not light it being obstructed by the over-much coldness of the Region neither is it of that activity as in lower Places And a little after he saith This Region is call'd Belor always having the face of Winter stamp'd on it Thus far Marcus Paulus All which agree unto that Mountain which they call Langur the highest Mountain in the Kingdom of Lasa concerning which Father Iohn Gruberus who travell'd through it on foot relateth that you cannot travel through it in Summer without danger both by reason of the great subtilty of the Air which hardly admitteth a Passenger to breathe and also because of the Vapor of a certain poisonous Herb which by its scent killeth both Man and Beast And about this Kingdom of Belor viz. the ancient Seat of the Sacae the Arabian Geographer placeth the principal Kingdom of Presbyter Iohn in Cathay as the Tractate written by Rabbi Abraham Pizol doth also clearly demonstrate The Nubian or Arabick Geographer calleth it Begarger in which he saith there is situate a very great City his words are these In the Eastern part of it is the Kingdom of Begarger the great City of which is call'd Centaba fortifi'd with twelve Iron Gates Rabbi Pizol with Paulus Venetus calleth it Belor in which he saith the Kingdom of Thebeth was lately discover'd his words are as followeth The Kingdom of Belor is very great and mighty according unto all Historians that have written of it there are many Iews inhabiting in it principally in the Eastern and Northern Quarters And there are moreover other Eastern People not long since discover'd call'd by the Natives Thebeth having a most splendid and magnificent City exceeding all others in magnitude there being not the like under the Canopy of Heaven in which all good things are found Which indeed can be no other than the City Chaparangue situate in the Kingdom of Thebeth concerning the Monuments of which in relation unto our Religion there left by the Christians Father Anthony Andradas a Portuguese of the Society of Iesus relateth Wonders who when he had heard that the Inhabitants thereof were professed Christians he took a Voyage into the same from the Kingdom of Mogor Anno 1624. full of labor and difficulty in which also having discover'd the Fountains or Heads of Ganges and Indus he observ'd many things most worthy of Consideration and admiration as I have it confirm'd by Ioseph a Christian of the Mogors Country who at the time of this my writing with Father Henry Roth Moderator of the new Converted Christians in the Kingdom of the Mogor is yet at Rome strong and lusty although eighty five years of Age who related unto me every Particular There is in the most high Mountains of Thebeth that are perpetually cover'd with Snow a great Lake the Receptacle of the greatest Rivers of India from which Indus Ganges Ravi Athec derive their Currents Hence the River Ganges hath its original falling down from the most high Rocks into a low Valley Indus and the other Rivers make their Outlets through the foot of the Mountains as is evident from the Map Now he affirmeth this Kingdom to be one of those of Great Cathay that are contain'd both without and within the Walls of the Chineses although the Relation be not in every respect conformable unto that perform'd by Benedict Goes of our Society which he undertook by order of his Superiors as we shall see anon And in these vast Regions of Cathay I find by the Relation of Paulus Venetus that most Potent Emperor Presbyter Iohn to have had subject unto his Dominions seventy two Kings partly Christians and partly Heathens although the similitude of the Kingdoms in those vast Regions and the Names arising from the various Revolutions of those Nations the Tumults of War and the other changes of Affairs together with the different Denomination hath caus'd such and so great a Confusion that to this very Day no Person hath been able to free himself out of this intricate Labyrinth for some make him the same with the Great Cham others call him Ascid by Original a Persian so Almachin in the third Book and fourth Chapter of his History of the Saracens Every King saith he of Pharanga so they call the City of Sogdiana is call'd Ascid as the Roman Emperor is call'd Caesar and the King of the Persians Cosrai And there are some that rather by a new Name with the Ethiopians more truly than by the old term him Iuchanes Belul that is to say Precious Iohn Others by no improbable Conjecture do assert That in honor of the Prophet Ionah who is highly respected amongst them all that Govern'd the Empire were so denominated But yet in these Western Parts of the Latin
same mistake by which he call'd Tygers Lions notwithstanding here are none to be found nor almost in all Asia except you will have him to be understood not only to comprehend the Bridges that are both within the City and without in the Suburbs but also those of the whole Empire and then indeed their number which otherwise will hardly gain credit amongst us may easily be augmented there being so vast an abundance of Bridges and Triumphal Arches every where to be found For the greater confirmation of this Matter there is a Lake of forty Italian Miles which they call Sihu which although it be not within the Walls yet it doth encompass it for a large space from the West to the South and many Channels are drawn from it into the City moreover the Banks or Shores of it on every side are so beset with Temples Monasteries Palaces Libraries and private Edifices that you would suppose your self to be within a most spacious City and not in the Country the Margents or Banks of the Lake are rais'd in every part with four-square and cut Stone and a convenient Passage left for Travellers also some Passages go clear through the Lake furnish'd with many and those very high Bridges under which Ships may pass in passing over which they may to and fro encompass the Lake whence these Bridges might easily be reckon'd by Venetus to belong to the City This is that City which hath a Mountain within its Walls on the South-side term'd Chinghoang in which is that Tower with a Guard where they measure the Hours by an Hour-glass and it is declar'd or inscrib'd on a Tablet how many Hours in large Golden Letters This is that City all whose Streets are pav'd with square Stone and this is situate in a Moorish place and divided by many Navigable Channels Lastly This is the City to omit other things from which the Emperor took his flight unto the Sea by the great River Cientang the breadth of which exceeds a German Mile and floweth to the South-side of the City So that here is the very same River which Venetus ascribeth unto Quinsai whence it is disembogu'd into the Sea towards the East from which this City is as far distant as Venetus doth affirm it I add That the compass of the City is above an hundred Italian Miles if you reckon in the large Suburbs which extend very far on every side whence you shall go over five hundred Chinesian Paces or Stadiums by walking in a straight Line or Way from North to South through the most large and populous Streets in which you shall find no place destitute either of Houses or People you may perform the like Iourney almost from the West to the North. Seeing therefore that according unto the Chinesian History the Name the Description the Magnitude and all other Passages do demonstrate this to be the City Quinsai we ought no longer to question or doubt of the same Thus Father Martinius Martinii in the Place cited SECT I. The Voyage of Benedict Goes of the Society of Iesus into Cathay or China taken out of Father Nicholas Trigautius I Shall therefore now briefly shew whence proceeded that so great confusion of Opinions concerning the proper Situation of Cathay Now it is known both from the History of Marcus Paulus Venetus Haytho the Armenian and also from the Chronology of the Chineses that the Great Cham Emperor of the Tartars whom some call Cublai others Ulcam or Uncam Anno 1256. making a Breach or Irruption through the Walls gain'd the whole Empire of the Chineses which then was divided into two Empires whereof the one towards the North was call'd Cathay the other towards the South Mangi whence as the North part of China with the other Regions without the Walls was otherwise vulgarly call'd Cathay so also the whole Empire of the Chineses being now possess'd the whole was call'd by the Name of Cathay by the Tartars and the adjoining Saracens the Name of the other circumjacent Regions without the Walls being utterly extinguish'd so that from that very time that only Empire of the Chineses that extended so far included within the Walls was call'd Cathay by as many as Traffick'd or Merchandiz'd thither from Indostan Usbec Camul and other Mediterranean Regions as it is manifest from the Voyage of our Brother Benedict Goes But because that was not only undertaken and decreed by the Command and Advice of the Superiors of our Society but also by the Command of the Viceroy of Aria in India call'd Saldagna yea also of the Great Acabar Emperor of the Mogors both to find out Cathay and also to instruct in the Christian Religion the Inhabitants of the interjacent Kingdoms certainly it was perform'd with all the diligence and care possible by Benedict Goes a Person of great Prudence and Understanding and also skill'd in the Persian Language which he had excellently attain'd to by a long stay or continuance in the Court of the Mogor and where he was very familiar with the Emperor Acabar Therefore he being sufficiently furnish'd with Supplies convenient for so great a Voyage from the Vice-Roy of India and having also the Diploma Patent or Pass taking the Habit of the Armenians and changing also his Name Benedict into Abdulla which signifieth The Servant of God and joyning with him an Armenian nam'd Isaac as his inseparable Companion in his Voyage Anno 1603. in the solemn Lent Fast departing from Lahor the Regal City of the Mogor he travell'd towards the Kingdom of Cascar in the company of five hundred Persons which they call The Caravan having with them a great multitude of Beasts of Carriage Camels and Wagons In a Month he arriv'd at the City Athec under the Iurisdiction of the Mogor and having passed over the River Indus at the end of two Months more he came unto Passaur where he was inform'd by an Hermit that about two Months Iourney farther towards the North was the Region Caphurstan that is The Land of Infidels of which I shall treat anon that had many Christians in it unto which notwithstanding being hindred by the Caravan he could not travel Hence in the Course of twenty five Days he came unto a City nam'd Ghideli where he was in great danger of Thieves Departing thence in twenty Days he came to the City Cabul a City yet subject to the Mogor from whence he went unto Chianacar a City abounding with Iron and from thence in ten Days he arriv'd at a Place call'd Parvan the last Town of the Kingdom of the Mogor After five Days respite he came in the space of twenty Days to a Region nam'd Aâ—cheran having pass'd over exceeding high Mountains and in fifteen Days more he arriv'd at the City Calcia and there having spent ten Days he came to a certain Place call'd Gialalabeth famous for the Portage or Customs of the Brachmans after fifteen Days more he came to Talhan and hence proceeding forward to Chaman he incurr'd the
leading toward the South draweth near unto the more inhabited Regions as Quansi Iunnam and Tibet for from hence unto the Saffron River and the Places adjoyning which abound with Bushes and Thickets they are wont to betake themselves in Herds and Droves at certain times of the Year both in respect of Pasturage and for Hunting of their Prey I. A Tartar of Kalmack II. A Woman of Kalmack III. A Lama Tartar IV. The Habitation of the Tartars V. The Turning Wheel Therefore when these Fathers had pass'd this Wall presently they met with a River replenish'd with Fish of which they made their Supper which they prepar'd in an open Tent and having also pass'd over the Saffron River without the Walls and immediately having entred that most vast and barren Desart Kalmack a Desart very dreadful and formidable in two Months they came to the Kingdom of Barantola This Desart although it be parch'd and ruinous is yet inhabited by the Tartars which are call'd Kalmack at certain times of the Year when there is great abundance of Pasturage on the Banks of the River they there fixing of their Hords which you may term and not unfitly Portable Cities The Tartars rove up and down in this Desart to Rob and Pillage whence it is very necessary that the Caravan be sufficiently strong to resist the violence of their Attempts These Fathers as they hapned to see them drew their Habits as they are here set down The first Figure sheweth a Tartar of Kalmack Cloth'd with a Leathern Garment and a yellow Cap. The second Figure exhibiteth a Tartar Woman of Kalmack Cloth'd with a Vestment made of a certain Skin as they guess'd of a green or red colour and each of them hath a Phylactery or Amulet hung about their Necks which they wore to preserve themselves from Dangers and Mischiefs The Tartar which the third Figure exhibiteth weareth the Habit of a Lama which is the Priest or Bishop of the holy Rites of the Nation of the Tartars of Kalmack they use a Cap or Hat Painted of a red Colour a white Coat or Cloke cast backwards a red Girdle they are also Vested with a yellow Coat from the Girdle of which hangeth down a Purse The fourth Figure expresseth their Habitations which are Tartarian Tents made up within of small bended and wreathed Sticks on the outside fram'd with a course Matter of a certain Wooll and ty'd or bound together with Cords The fifth Figure sheweth an Instrument or turning Wheel in the form of a Scepter which is mov'd round by the superstitious Auditors or By-standers at the time when the Lama Pray VI. The fore part of a Woman of Northern Tartary VII The back part of the same Woman In the Court of Deva King of Tanguth our Fathers saw a Woman born in Northern Tartary who as she was Dress'd in an unwonted Habit so she seem'd not unworty of having her Picture taken unto the Life She wore Hair ty'd or knotted like unto small Cords having her Head and Girdle adorn'd with the Shells of Sea-Cockles See her exhibited in her fore and back part in the sixth and seventh Figures VIII The Habit of a Courtier in the Attire of a Woman IX The Trophies which are erected in the tops of the Mountains with Adoration unto the Great Lama for the conservation of Men and Horses X. Another Habit of a Courtier There were also in the same Court of the King certain Courtiers whose Habit if you observe it is altogether womanish but only that they use a Coat of a red Colour after the manner of the Lama which together with the Trophies erected in the tops of the mountains in Adoration of the Great Lama for the conservation of Men and Cattel are express'd in the eighth ninth and tenth Figures XI The Habit of the possess'd Youth that killeth Men call'd Phut XII The common Habit in the Kingdom of Tanchut XIII The Habit of the same Nation There is a most detestable and horrible Custom introduc'd into these Kingdoms of Tanchut and Barantola by the subtlety of Satan which is as followeth They chuse a lusty Youth unto whom they grant liberty on Set-days of the Year to kill with the Weapons wherewith he hath Arm'd himself any Person he meeteth of what Age or Sex soever without any difference or respect of Persons fondly supposing that those who are thus slain immediately as if they were Consecrated by Menipe a devilish Spirit whom they worship obtain eternal Honors and a most happy Estate This Youth in a very gay Habit furnish'd with a Sword Quiver and Arrows and stuck or laden with the Trophies of Banners and Ensigns at a prefix'd time being possess'd with the Demon or Devil unto whom he is Consecrated rushing with great fury out of the House wandreth through the Ways and Streets and killeth at his pleasure all that meet him no resistance being made This Youth they call in their Language Phut which signifieth The Slayer whence our Fathers depicted him altogether after the same manner that they had a sight of him together with the Habit of both Sexes in the Kingdom of Tanchut as the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Figures do shew There are other Kingdoms included within the vast Kingdom of Tanchut and in the first place Barantola also call'd Lassa which hath a Metropolitan City of the same Name It hath a King of its own and is altogether intangled with the foul Errors of Heathenism The People worship Idols with the deference of Deities amongst which that which they call Manipe hath the preeminence and with its nine-fold difference of Heads riseth or terminateth in a Cone in a monstrous heighth concerning which we shall speak more fully in the following Discourse when we come to treat of the many-headed Deities of the Chineses Before this Demon or false God this foolish People perform their Sacred Rites with many unwonted Gesticulations and Dances often repeating of these words O Manipe Mi Hum O Manipe Mi Hum that is O Manipe save us They many times set divers sorts of Viands or Meats before the Idol for the propitiating or appeasing of the Deity and perform abominable kinds of Idolatry XIV Han the deceased King of Tanguth whom they worship with Divine Honor. XV. The Effigies of the Great Lama There is also exhibited in Barantola another Spectacle of a false Deity which as it almost seemeth to exceed humane belief so it also doth require to be evidenc'd with the more singular care Our Fathers relate that whilst they remain'd in Barantola which was about two Months to wait for the convenience of the Caravan they observ'd many things in reference to the Manners and Customs of the People of which they noted some to be ridiculous and others to be cursed and detestable There are two Kings in this Kingdom whereof one is truly concern'd and employ'd in the management of the Affairs of the Kingdom whom they call Deva the other being separated and taken off
At length I return'd to Sfahanum and here remain ready to fulfil the Commands of your Reverend Fatherhood But doth your Reverend Fatherhood in the mean while publish nothing to the World Such a Tree ought to bear some Fruit. Besides two Books that you were pleas'd to send me some Years since nothing else hath arriv'd at my Hands I have here Compos'd some Treatises about the Controversies of the Law in particular An Answer to the Polisher of the Looking-glass I know no Person that can better manage this Business at Rome than your Reverend self whom I beseech to render me more certain whether such Books can be Printed there but I much question whether any one can be found that will be at the Charge yet in this matter I shall determine nothing but what my Superiors shall ordain To conclude The least of your Reverend Fatherships Servants onely more especially requesteth this That you would retain this my Epistle by you for a Memorial and that you would not be unmindful of me in your Holy Sacrifices Dated near Xaxan about the time of the Festival of Saint Francis Xavier CHAP. V. The Voyage perform'd by Marcus Paulus Venetus and Haython the Armenian into Cathay or China SEeing none of the Ancients have describ'd the Kingdoms of the utmost Confines of the East more fully than Marcus Paulus Venetus therefore I esteem'd it my Duty to say somewhat of his Voyage into Cathay at this time having so fit an opportunity although there do many things occur which are neither apprehended nor understood at this very Day by any Geographer by reason of the variety of Names by which he calleth Kingdoms Provinces Cities Mountains Rivers and Lakes and that differently from all others and also by reason of the Description of some Cities which consent not with the modern Geography Moreover Marcus Paulus being ignorant of the use of the Globe hence it came to pass that he setteth not down the Longitude and Latitude of any City from which knowledge alone the true Situation of Places is found But now let us come to relate his Voyage Anno 1269. being Emperor of Constantinople two famous Persons of the Illustrious Family of the Paulini Nicolas and Matthew Citizens of Venice set forwards unto Constantinople in a Ship fraighted with divers Commodities where having a little refresh'd themselves and committing themselves to the Euxine Sea they arriv'd with prosperous Winds at a Port of Armenia call'd Soldadia Now what this Port of Soldadia is we have not hitherto found out I interpret it to be Trapezonmet seeing that there is no Port of the Armenians nearer the Euxine Sea neither can we discover what the Kingdom of Bartza is From the Kingdom of Bartza they came by great windings and turnings of the Land unto the City of Bochara situate on the River Oxus in the Kingdom of Usbeck where great Wars arising between the King of Bartza and the Tartars they were much perplex'd and ignorant which way to take to return into their own Country but at last upon serious Consideration and Advice they remain'd there full three years and that they might not spend their time idly in that space they apply'd themselves with all their endeavor to the attaining of the Tartarian Tongue While Affairs were in this Condition an Ambassador came to Bochara to Treat with the Great Emperor of Tartary where when he had found these fore-mention'd Persons he us'd his utmost Endeavors both in reference unto their great and noted Behaviour and the Tartarian Tongue in which they were excellently accomplish'd to have them with him in his Return to the Great Cham to whom he knew they would be very acceptable therefore they relying on the Advice of the Ambassador after the Travel of several Months made their appearance before the Great Cham. He first of all admiring the Countenance and Behavior of these Europeans and also being led with a curiosity of understanding the Affairs of Europe was wholly intent upon the discovery of the Mode and Form of the Government of the Occidental Regions enquiring of them concerning the Pope the Emperor and the Rites of the whole Empire as well those that are observ'd in Peace as War Unto which when they had prudently reply'd they so far wrought upon the Emperor that entring into Counsel with his Nobles he concluded upon sending an Ambassador to the Pope of Rome which he thought fit in his Name to impose on these Paulini whose Faith and Sincerity he had now sufficiently try'd and together with them he sent a Golden Table and Letters in which he requested his Holiness would send him an hundred Persons conspicuous both for Learning and Wisdom to instruct his Subjects in the Christian Faith which he said was the best and most pure of all others Wherefore these Persons having receiv'd their Embassy immediately set forward on their Voyage having this Golden Table which was Seal'd with the Seal of the Great Cham and also having his Letters in which he commanded all his Subjects to receive them with all Honor and Affection and discharge them of all Customs and Tribute Thus they follow'd on their Iourney by the great assistance of the Golden Table and after the space of some Months came at length to Balzra a Port of the Armenians now what this Port was whether on the Caspian or Euxine Sea I have not as yet found it is most probable to be the Port of Trapezonment plac'd in a Corner of the Euxine Sea for from this Port within a few Months Anno 1272. they came to Ancona which could not be perform'd from the Caspian Sea by reason of the great space of Land and Regions interjoin'd Moreover having return'd unto Ancona whence they departed the report of the death of Clement the Fourth being nois'd abroad and no other as yet plac'd in the Apostolical Seat being destitute of Advice they were not a little disturb'd and setting forward unto Venice to visit their native Soil they heard of the Election of a new Pope Here Nicolas found his Wife whom he had left great with Child at his departure to be dead having left behind her Marcus a Son of fifteen years of Age who afterwards became the Companion of his Father into those remote Regions of Asia which his Father had before travell'd unto and also was the Author and Writer of this Geographical History Wherefore a new Pope being chosen and nam'd Gregory the Tenth Rudulphus being Emperor by the unanimous Approbation of the Cardinals they return to Ancona having deliver'd the Letters of the Great Cham together with the Presents to the Pope with which he being mov'd and greatly rejoycing that he had a fit opportunity offer'd him for the Propagation of the Gospel â—e return'd a Literal Missive unto the Great Cham in which all things were contain'd that might seem necessary to instruct them better in the Christian Religion and render the mind of the Great Cham more flexible and yielding unto
the receiving of the Christian Law Unto these he adjoin'd two excellent Persons for Learning of the Society of St. Dominick William of Tripoly and Nicolas whose Sirname is not added These therefore provided with all Necessaries for such an Expedition began their Iourney to the East and at length after a long Voyage by Sea and Land entred Armenia where they found all things in disorder by reason of a War commenc'd between the Armenians and the Sultan of Babylon The Fathers being struck with fear and laying aside all prosecution of a farther Voyage took up their Station and continu'd in Arâ—â—nia but Nicolas with his Son Marcus Paulus rejecting all fear of danger ouâ— of a great desire which they had to give the Great Cham a plenary Satisfaction concerning his Embassay although they were expos'd to great hardship and the danger of unknown Paths yet at last arriv'd at the City Clemenisu of whose approach when Cublai the Great Cham was acquainted he commanded his Messengers in forty Days space to set forwards to meet them and to conduct them to him and withal to shew them all the respect that might be and to let them want for nothing that might be any way necessary for them Therefore being admitted into the Presence of the Great Cham and having perform'd the accustom'd signs or tokens of Veneration they declar'd the Effects of their Embassy and also Presented him with the Letters of the Pope together with a Viol of Oyl borrow'd from one of the Lamps our Saviour's Sepulchre He admiring the Presence of Marcus the Son of Nicolas gave such Respect unto both of them that he admitted them for his Domestick Attendants which was a token of great Honor and made use of Nicolas as an Ambassador whom by reason of that singular Prudence that appear'd in him his signal dexterity in dispatching Business and his great skill in four different Tongues he sent him on divers Employments all which redounded unto his great advantage and when he discover'd the Emperor to be delighted with curious sights of Nature and strange Customs whatsoever he observ'd rare admirable and exotick in the various Tracts of his Embassies and Voyages those he collected with great Industry and Presented them to the Great Cham by which you can hardly imagine how much he ingratiated himself in his Favor until at length oversway'd with a desire of returning to their native Country after the discharge of many Embassies for the space of seventeen years having obtain'd though with much reluctancy a freedom to return they came back well and safe through many unknown Paths of Sea and Land having pass'd innumerable Regions unto Venice Anno 1295. Now having related this by the way there remaineth nothing but that I should describe somewhat more at large his Voyage into Cathay seeing many things as I have said do occur in it that do very much perplex Geographers Having Sail'd over the Mediterranean Sea and Travell'd through Anatolia Armenia and Persia he came unto the Region of Balasia which I suppose to be Corasina a Country interposed between Persia and the Kingdom of the Great Mogol From this Place avoiding the Passage towards the South he took his way between the North and East which they call Nordost thence he went through the Desarts and then over the most high Mountain Belor which we have describ'd before into the Kingdom of Cassar which now they call Cascar for a time Tributary to the Great Cham partly Inhabited by Nestorian Christians and partly by Mahumetans Thence wandring a little towards the North he entred into Samarcande the Regal Seat of the Great Tamberlain in the Kingdom of Carcham now call'd Tarcham from whence he proceeded onwards through the Desart Lop into the Cities Peim and Ciarcia and at length into Camul and Tarpham at that time Provinces of the Empire of Tanchut and now subject to the Empire of Usbeck All which agrees with what we have alledg'd before concerning the Voyage of Benedict Goes Yet from hence he went not the shortest Way unto Cathay but declining towards the North he came unto the City Campition the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Tanchut where having entred between the East and South that is South-East unto those that proceed forwards he came into Cathay through the Desart yet laying aside this Passage he proceeded forwards again towards the North and having pass'd through many Provinces and Kingdoms of the Eastern Tartary where he found many Christians at length he arriv'd at Cambalu the Royal Court of the Great Cham of the largeness and Etymology of which City we have before treated at large Where I wonder very much that Paulus Venetus maketh no mention of the Walls of the Empire of China through which of necessity he should have pass'd peradventure he stragling far and wide unto the Eastern Sea unto which he writeth that he came through the Northern Kingdoms pass'd through Cireanum belonging unto the Chineses into Cathay that is China for whatsoever he afterwards relateth concerning Cathay whatsoever he observeth concerning the vastness and magnificency of the Cities concerning the frequency and multitude of the People and Merchants of the affluency of all things necessary for Humane Life of the abundance of great and small Rivers of the admirable Structures and Fabricks of the Bridges these I say can agree unto no other Region Kingdom or Empire but only unto that most vast Empire of the Chineses unto which the Chinesian Names of the Cities with their Customs and Manners are altogether consonant and agreeable as I have shewn at large in the preceding Discourse Haython the Armenian a Monk of the Order of the Praemonstratensis and of the Bloud-Royal a Traveller throughout the whole East he with the Fidelity of a religious Person confirmeth whatsoever is more largely related by Paulus Venetus concerning the Kingdom of Cathay for Anno 1307. he beheld all those Kingdoms of the utmost Parts of the East with his own Eyes the cause manner and occasion of which Voyages we shall afterwards declare Now he thus speaketh concerning the Kingdom of Cathay in the first Chapter of his History The Kingdom of Cathay is the greatest that is to be found in the World and is replenish'd with infinite People and Riches It is situate on the Sea-Coast The Men of of those Parts are most subtle and full of deceit and therefore in all Knowledge makeslight of all other Nations for they say that they are the only People that see with both Eyes and all others only with one They have for the most part little Eyes and are naturally without Beards And moreover it is reported concerning this Kingdom that it is situate in the chief part of the World because it hath the East on one part and on the other part there doth no Nation inhabit as they report on the West it hath its Confines on the Kingdom of Tarsa on the North it is bounded with the Desart of Belgian and on the East and
in the same quoted place of Antonius unto St. Lewis King of France who was also at the same time intent on the War undertaken against the Mahumetans in the Island of Cyprus in which Epistle he ardently exhorteth him to accomplish the same Enterprize together with him and because it is worthy of consideration I thought it requisite here to insert it This is the Exemplar or Transcript of the Letter which Ercaltay Prince of the Tartars sent unto King Lewis and by his Command Translated into Latin word for word THe Words of Ercaltay sent by the Power of the High God from the King of the Land of Cham unto the Great King the Strenuous or Victorious Conqueror of many Provinces the Sword of the World the Victory of Christianity the Defender of the Apostolical Religion Son of the Evangelical Law King of France let God increase his Dominion and preserve it for many years and fulfill his Desires in the Law and in the World now and in the World to come by the Verity of his Divine Power that leadeth all Men and all the Prophets and Apostles Amen A hundred thousand Salutes and Benedictions and this I request That he will accept these Benedictions and that they may appear great in his sight God grant that I may behold this magnificent King who hath approached so near unto us Now the most High Creator grant this our Meeting may be in Charity and cause us to assemble together in Unity After this our Salutation That in this our Epistle we intend nothing but the advantage of Christianity and to strengthen the Hands of the Christians and I beseech God to render the Christian Armies successful and that they may become triumphant over their Adversaries that contemn the Cross. Now on the part or behalf of the Great King let God advance him let God increase his Magnificence in the Presence of Cyochaym We come with Power and Command that all Christians be free from Servitude and Tribute from Force Compulsion and the like that they be Honor'd and had in Reverence and that none take away or deprive them of their Possessions and that their demolish'd Churches be re-edifi'd their Tables founded and that no Person may restrain them to Pray with a quiet Conscience and free Mind for our King We have sent hither by our faithful Servant the venerable Person Sabaldi David and Mark and they declare those good Reports and relate by word of Mouth how Matters are carried with us now the Son may receive their words and may concredit them and in our Letters the King of the Earth may be exalted His Magnificence commandeth that in the Law of God there be no difference between the Grecian and the Roman the Armenian Nestorian and Iacobite and all those that adore the Cross for they are all one with us and so we desire that the Magnificent King would not be divided or be contrary amongst us but that his Piety may be shewn upon all the Christians and that his Goodness and Clemency may continue Thus far the Example of the Epistle which was sent to the King of France in Cyprus from Ercaltay Prince of the Tartars unto which other Letters are sufficiently consonant which a little before were Presented unto the same King from the King of Cyprus and the Count of Ioppa a Transcript of which also together with the Transcript of the aforesaid Letter of Ercaltay were sent by the venerable Legate unto Pope Innocent the Fourth This I have transcrib'd our of Antonius Also St. Lewis sent unto the foremention'd Ercaltay and to the Great Cham Ambassadors of the Order of St. Dominick with rich Gifts or Presents one whereof was that which they call A Baldachin a most magnificent Present in which the whole Life of Christ was beheld interwoven in Tapestry-work by a wonderful Art together with a piece of the Cross But concerning this see more at large St. Antonius in the fore-cited place as also Vincentius Bishop of Bellay in his Speculum Historicum or Historical Looking-Glass all which hapned about the Year 1256. and are consonant to what we a little before alledg'd out of Paulus Venetus and Haython St. Antonius asserteth in the place quoted That some Tartars came unto the Council held under Innocent the Fourth At length Anno 1300. as Vadingus relateth in the Life of Odiricus many Religious Persons of the Order of St. Francis were sent unto the Great Cham into the greater Cathay and Tartary and remain'd in the Cities of Cambalu and Nanchin which they call The City of Heaven as also the Kingdom of Tebeth Converting many of the Infidels and Pagans unto the Faith of Christ. This St. Odiricus above-mention'd was a Person of the same Order who being inflam'd with a zeal of gaining all the People of those Kingdoms unto Christ is reported to have travell'd thither as is shewn at large by the Reverend Fathers Bollandus and Hoenschenius in the splendid Work of The Lives of the Saints unto which I refer the Reader where in the first Tome on the fifteenth day of Ianuary they at large demonstrate the same in their Learned Commentaries And therefore by this occasion the Gospel of Christ being spread throughout all Tartary and the Kingdom of Cathay which is China was in every Place much augmented But as we have often said before what through the defect of the Cultivators of the Vineyard of Christ or by the various Successors of the Empire very little addicted unto the Christian Faith or from some other causes the Tartarian Church reduc'd unto its Chaos partly adher'd unto the Superstition of the Gentiles partâ—ly unto the Law of Mahomet or else to the Heresie of the Nestorians who in the Year 1300. undertaking an Expedition or Voyage from Chaldea into Tartary to â—sow their Tares infected the Minds of the Christians there yet remainining with the Venome of their impious Opinions and also taught them who were ignorant of Writing before the use of the Chaldean Characters which the Tartars use unto this Day But how the Tartars became Mahumetans read in Matthias Micheu in his first Book of the Asiatick Tartary And this is that which in brief I esteem'd requisite to acquaint the Reader with concerning the Change of the Christian Religion in China Tartaria and the other Regions of India CHAP. VII Of the last Introduction of Christianity into China THe Church of Christ continuing thus from Anno 636. in which the Syro-Chinesian Monument was erected in China and making great Progress behold the Enemy of Mankind by the Assistance of wicked Men threw down at one shock or storm whatsoever the Church of God had perfected in many years the Preachers of the Christian Faith out of the hatred and envy of the Bonzii being some put to death and the rest banish'd whence the Faithful at that time persever'd in the constancy of the Faith receiv'd even unto the Death but their Posterity in process of time
separates it from Tartary and India The furthest Extent of China taken in the breadth begins in the South upon the Island Hainan which lies in 18 Degrees Northern Latitude from thence it reaches toward the North to 42 Degrees insomuch that China in the breadth extends to 22 Degrees that is 330 Dutch Leagues It s length begins in the Province of Iuunan at 120 Degrees and ends in the East at the Mountain of the Town Ningpo call'd by the Portugueses Nampo at 132 Degrees So that this Part consists of 450 Leagues in Longitude China is not a little secure in regard of the adjacent Kingdoms and the natural and strong Forts whereby this Kings Realm stands so intirely protected against all violence from without that the like is hardly to be seen elsewhere neither are there any Avenues found leading to this Monarchy insomuch that it is so well provided and guarded that it seems to be a World within it self and separated from all the rest as well toward the South as East and where the Sea borders it hath so many Islands Banks Flats and blind Rocks that it is altogether unsafe to approach China on the side with any great Ships of Men of War On the West and somewhat toward the South lie the Woods and Hills of Tamessus which are so thick and high that it is altogether unpenetrable on that side and which separate China from the next bordering Asia and the lesser neighboring Kingdoms all which adds to the Defence and Protection of this Empire Toward the North and West it is also sufficiently secur'd against all Invasions by the Sandy and dry Flats of Samo which endanger all Vessels that attempt any Landing in those Parts Lastly this Kingdom has toward the North a great Wall which the Family and Branch of Cina built against the Invasion of the Tartars 215 Years before the Birth of Christ but in what condition this Wall is at present and how far it extends we shall treat at large in the Description of the Province of Peking In respect the Sovereignty over the fifteen Kingdoms of this China belongs at present to a Monarch the Great Cham of Tartary I shall give you an Account of the number of all the great and little Cities situated in all these Dominions First of all they sum up in this whole Empire 145 Capital Cities which out-shine the rest both in Greatness and Glory Under the Command of this Emperor are 1331 small Cities amongst which 148 may be compared in Magnificence Beauty and People with the chief Cities Beside these there are 32 great Cities more which are not subject to any other yet they must not bear the Name of Capital though they Command over 36 small Cities Beside all these there are 3 Cities more for the Officers and Commanders of the Militia to dwell in The Forts and Castles are 159. beside which 17 great Garison Cities and 66 small Garison Towns which are never without full Companies and of Soldiers who are permitted to inhabit promiscuously amongst the Burgers There is no distinguishing by the greatness and largeness of the Cities the one from the other for some of the small ones exceed some others of the great and prime Cities both in Largeness Wealth and People but according to the Worth and Dignity of the Governors and the Priviledges of the Place she bears the Precedency and is reckon'd amongst the chief Cities No Place must presume to take up the Name of a City but what is Wall'd in for every inferior Town or Situation subjects to the next adjacent Capital City Most of the Cities in China are built after one fashion and form commonly four-square with broad and high Walls adorn'd with quadruple Towers placed at an equal distance round about which runs a deep Moat and that also is surrounded with a Mud or Earthen Wall Each City has a double Gate and two double Doors whereof the first stands directly over against the second that there is no seeing through the last though you stand in the first Betwixt these two Gates opens most commonly a large Court where they Discipline their Militia Upon the Gates are likewise built great Watch-Towers where the Soldiers keep Night-Sentinel Most of the Cities have great Suburbs belonging to them which are as full of People as within the Wall Without the Battlements each Metropolis hath a delightful Plain curiously adorned with Towers Trees and other Embellishments most pleasant to the Eye The Country every where swarms with People so that wheresoever you Travel you shall meet continually with Crowds of Men Women and Children As now these 15 Kingdoms seem not onely to exceed all other Parts of the World for the number of most rare Edifices and rich Cities so they are likewise no less abounding in People for the most populous Country of all Europe stands not in competition with this Those that will take the pains to look into the Chinese Pole or Register-Books wherein is exactly set down the number of the People of each Province except those of the Royal Family will find that it amounts to the number of 58 Millions 9 hundred and 40 thousand 2 hundred and 84 Persons Neither need you wonder which way this can be made out for every Master of a Family is oblig'd upon a great Penalty to hang out a little Board over his Door upon which he must set down the number of his Houshold and their Condition c. And to prevent all Fraud one is appointed over every tenth House whom they call Titang which signifies the Tenth-man or Tyther His Office consists in taking an Account of the number of the Persons upon the Board and if the Master of the Family fail to make that known truly he is to acquaint the Governor of the City with the Abuse Having spoken thus much of the Situation Division and Extent of China I shall add in short what these fifteen Provinces pay annually in Taxes one with another as also how many Capital great little and Garison Cities are in each of the Ten and lastly what each Province Division or Shire disburseth yearly in Taxes to the Emperor of China No Man possesses a Foot of Land in all this Empire without paying to the Emperor something out of it so that we need not wonder that over and above the common Expences which are made upon the account of petty Kings Vice-Roys and Military Officers there are more then threescore Millions of Crowns brought yearly into the Emperors Coffers The whole Sum amounts to 150 Millions of Crowns whereof he cannot dispose as he pleaseth but the Money is brought into the Treasury and if the King at any time desires a Supply in writing to the Treasurer he is not to deny the payment of it The Provinces bring in yearly in Taxes 32 Millions 2 hundred 7 thousand 4 hundred and 47 Bags of Rice and one Bag is enough to serve 100 Men for one day 40 hundred 9 thousand
causes so many safe Harbors and Roads for Shipping in these Parts The Country is in some places flat and even and in others Hilly and Mountainous especially toward the South as we often found to our great inconvenience upon our Voyage This Province produces all things necessary for the sustenance of Man as likewise several sorts of rich Wares and Commodities as well Artificial as Natural It likewise yields the Husbandman Fruits twice ayear as Rice Corn and other Products for in it you have no cold Weather all Winter so that the Chineses have a Proverb among them that there are three very strange things in Quantung viz. The Heaven without Snow Trees green in Winter as in Summer and The Inhabitants spitting Blood for first of all it never Snows here the Trees are never unperwig'd and the Inhabitants continually chewing the Leaves of Betel and Areka prepar'd after their way makes their Spittle red From hence comes likewise great quantities of Gold Pearl Precious Stones Silk Quick-silver Copper Steel Iron Salt-petre Eagle-Wood and several other odoriferous Woods The People in these Parts are very ingenious laborious and nimble and can imitate any thing which they see made before them and whatsoever the Portugueses bring thither out of Europe woven of Gold Silver or the like which is strange unto them they will immediately endeavor to work the same and in a short time will accomplish what they undertake for I gave a Chinese Goldsmith a Silver Button to make a Set by and the next day he brought to my Lodging what I had bespoke very curiously wrought as if he had been us'd to such work though he had never done the like before which argues their Ingenuity to be very great Among other Fowls which are to be seen in this Country are great store of Ducks which the Inhabitants have the art and way to raise and increase beyond all the rest of their Neighbors This Province is Govern'd as also each of the other Provinces in the Emperors Name by Governors who by those of Europe because their Offices and Employments much resemble Vice-Roys are call'd petty Kings who commonly reside in the first Chief City of the Province When we were at Canton Quantung was Govern'd by two Vice-Roys whereof one in regard of his Years was call'd the old and the other the young Vice-Roy The Portugueses call'd the young Vice-Roy Halick Mancebo The Vice-Roys of Quantung take place of all the Governors of the other Provinces because situated upon the Frontiers of the Kingdom and far remote from the Imperial City Peking and borders also upon the Sea by which means the High-ways are troubled with Robbers and the Sea with Pyrates therefore the Emperor orders that the Vice-Roys of Quantung shall Command over the Province of Quantung though this last as the other Provinces has also particular Vice-Roys This Country was formerly a Kingdom of it self and call'd Nainve and first brought under the Command of the Chinese Emperors at the end of the Reign of the Race of Cheva yet however it did not continue long under that Power but revolted and would be Rul'd by none but the Kings of Nainve The Emperor Hiaorus of the Family of Hana at last conquer'd this part since which time it has been subject to the Emperors of China In this Province are ten Chief Cities and seventy three small Cities without reckoning among them the City of Maccao famous for Traffick and Commerce The ten Chief Cities are these Quancheu or Canton Xaocheu Nanhiung Hoeicheu Chaocheu Chaoking Kaocheu Liencheu Lincheu and Kiuncheu The Chief City of Quancheu Commands over fifteen small Cities among which I do not reckon Maccao though it lies under the Command of this Chief City The 15 small ones of this great City are these Quancheu or Canton Xunte Tangvon Cengching Hiangxan Sinhoei Cingyven Sinning Cunghoa Lungumen Sanxui Lien Iangxan Tienxan and Singan The second Capital City Xaocheu Commands over six small Cities Xaocheu Locang Giughoa Iuyven Ungyen and Ingote The Country about this Chief City is for the most part full of Hills The third Chief City is Nanhiung or Nanhung and Commands over two Cities Nanhiung and Xihing The fourth Chief City is Hoeicheu and Commands over 10 small Cities Hoeicheu Polo Haifung Hoiven Lungchuen Changlo Hingning Hoping Changing and Iunggan The fifth Chief City is Chaocheu and Commands likewise over 10 small Cities Chaocheu Chaoyang Kieyang Chinghiang Iaoping Tapu Hoeilai Cinghai Puning and Pingyven The sixth Chief City is Chaoking and Commands over eleven Cities Chaoking Sinhoei Sinhing Yangchun Yangkiang Caoming Genping Teking Quangning Fuchuen and Kalklen The seventh Chief City is Caocheu and Commands over six small Cities Caocheu Tienpe Sing Hoa Vuchnen and Xeching The eighth Chief City is Lieucheu and Commands over four small Cities Lieucheu Knig Lingxan and Xelien The ninth Chief City is Luicheu and Commands over three small Cities Luichtu Sniki and Siuven The tenth Chief City is Kiuncheu situated in the Island of Hainan and Commands over twelve small Cities Kiuncheu Lincao Tingan Veuchung Hoeitung Lohoei Chen Changhoa Van Linxui Yai and Cangen In this whole Province are ten Forts or Castles which serve for the Defence of the Province and the Sea the Names whereof are these Taching Tung Hanxan Ginghai Kiacu Kiexe Ciexing Hiung Iunching and Ciungling The Chinese Toll-Book wherein the number of the People of each Province is set down makes mention of Four hundred eighty three thousand three hundred and sixty Families and Nineteen hundred seventy eight thousand and twenty Fighting Men in this Province The Taxes which this Province pays yearly to the Emperor amounts to Ten hundred seventeen thousand seven hundred and twenty two Bags of Rice and seven thousand three hundred and fourscore Weight of Salt CANTON On the Water side the City is defended with two rows of high and thick Walls which are strengthned with Bulwarks Watch-Towers and other Forts and beside these Works there are two other strong Water-Castles which being built in the middle of the River render this City invincible One of these two Castles which I saw my self and which doth not much differ in any thing from the other I took an exact Draught of which you have here presented shewing the Strength of the Place and in what manner built The City is likewise defended and surrounded on the Land side with a strong Wall and five strong Castles whereof some are within the Walls and others without upon the tops of steep Hills so that this City is sufficiently both by Sea and Land defended against all the Invasions of any Enemy whatsoever and in the opinion of some seems invincible What concerns the Idol-Temples Courts and Palaces of Great Lords and other rare Edifices which are to be seen here there is no City in all Asia that shews the like Here also are several Triumphal Arches which have been erected to the Honor of such as have done their Country Service They are no small
China Dishes for the Table according to their manner But the Ambassadors to hint to them how they far'd in Holland bespoke several other Dishes at their own Charge but we receiv'd after we had been before the Emperor a double Allowance which was seldom done to any other Forein Addressors In the first place you must know That the Province wherein this Chief Imperial City of Peking is situate as also the City it self have been call'd in several Times by several Names in regard it is an ancient Custom among the Chineses as has been already said that when the Race which Commands and Rules over them happens to be alter'd commonly also then the chiefest Cities nay the whole Kingdom change and alter their Names In the Times of the Race of Chiva this Province and Chief City was call'd Ieu under the Race of Cina it was call'd Xangho when the Race of Hana Reign'd 't was call'd Quangyang and under the Race of Ciin Eanyang But the Race of Taiminga which drove the Tartars out of China nam'd it Peking and Xuntien by both which they now call it The City is call'd Peking which signifies The Northern Chief City to distinguish it from Nanking which we Interpret The Southern City But the other Name Xuntien whereby it is so commonly call'd by the Chinese Geographers signifies Obedient to Heaven It is call'd by the Tartars Cambalu that is The City of the Lord. It lies in 40 Degrees Northern Latitude almost upon the outward Northern Limits of this Province and the whole Kingdom not far from those high Mountains and that great and famous Wall which separates the Tartars and Chineses in the North from each other It exceeds the Southern Chief City of Nanking in number of Inhabitanâ— Soldiers and Magistrates but on the other hand is not to be compar'd with Nanking for largeness regular Streets and Fortifications It s South-side lies vested with two high and thick Walls which are so broad that twelve Horses may go abrest upon them without any hindrance to one another The inner Wall which extends about ten Miles in circuit is so thick set with Bulwarks that one may easily fling a Stone from Tower to Tower This Wall is all of Stone and so very high that I believe the like is not to be found again in all Europe the outward Walls within which the Suhurbs lie environ'd have very slight Fortifications only on both sides of the Gates are three strong Out-works In these Redoubts and Towers the Soldiers by Night keep strict Courts of Guard as if the Enemy were at the Gates The Chinese Emperor Taicungus who Reigned over China in the Year 1404. did very much embellish this City and bestow'd several Priviledges upon it Amongst the Emperors which belong'd to the Race of Taiminga this Taicungus was the first that left the City of Nanking and setled his Imperial Court and Residence in this Chief City of Peking the better to hinder and resist the Inroads and Excursions of the Tartars driven out of the neighboring Countries by his Grandfather The City has twelve Gates All Rarities in China are brought hither so that this City abounds in every thing fit either for Pleasure or humane Sustenance Several thousand Royal Vessels beside those of private Persons are continually employ'd to fetch all manner of Wares and Curiosities for the Emperor and his Council at Peking Hither comes all the Revenues which each Province of the Kingdom pays yearly to the Emperor's Exchequer and the better to effect this for the Importing of all Wares to Peking the Chineses use great Endeavors to make all Rivers Navigable that so they may come with ease by Water to the Emperor's Court with the Products of several Provinces Iustly may a Man admire at the Workmanship of the Chineses which partly by Art and partly by Nature is so brought to pass that you may come to this City hundreds of Miles by Shipping from most Parts of the Kingdom By this Importation this Place though in an unfruitful and barren Soil possesses every thing in great abundance and may be call'd the Granary of the whole Empire for they have a Proverb amongst them That there grows nothing in Peking yet there is no want of any thing All Commanders and Officers as well Civil as Military who have a mind to be preferr'd must betake themselves to this City which prescribes Laws to all others and upon this Place alone depends the whole Government of China so that a very great number of Learned Men and Officers are always resident here The Streets are not pav'd insomuch that in wet weather which is seldom they are hardly passable but when the Northern Winds blow and the Weather is dry the Soil which is of a light substance makes a Dust far more noisom to Passengers than the deep and miry Streets for such it is that it blinds a Man as he goes along The Inhabitants therefore to prevent this inconvenience are fain to wear Silk Hoods over their Faces and the extraordinary foulness of the Way makes very many to keep Horses to carry them after a rainy Day for the infinite number of common People that are continually up and down turns this dusty Soil into Mire and Dirt after a little Rain There are also Horses or Sedans to be hir'd at any time for the accommodation of Passengers but none make use of Sedans or Chairs but Persons of Quality in which they are carried in great State These Sedans are made very artificially of Bamboes or Rushes in the middle whereof stands a Chair which is cover'd with a Tygers Skin upon which he that is carried seats himself having behind him a Boy with an Umbril in his Hand to keep off the Sun His Servants likewise attend him some of them going before and others following after with Ensigns upon their Shoulders whereby the Quality of the Person is known and he respected accordingly as he passes along The City abounds in extraordinary brave Building famous Idol-Temples high and artificial Towers and Triumphal Arches which exceedingly adorn the same But we had not so full a view thereof as we could have wish'd in regard we were little better as hath been already said than confin'd to our Lodgings by order of the Emperor Marcus Paulus a Venetian who was in this City in the Year 1275. when the Tartars conquer'd the Southern Provinces of China calls the same in his Writings by the Name of Cambalu which he describes in this manner The City Cambalu which lies in the Province of Cathai upon a great River and signifies The City of the Lord has been very famous in all Ages The Great Cham did transfer this City to another part of the River for the Astrologers had foretold him that it should rise up against him It lies four-square and is twenty four Miles in circumference so that each side is six Miles long the Walls are of white Stone high and broad each side of the Wall has three
lives in Princely State being serv'd and waited on with extraordinary Pomp and Splendor but has no Command in the least over any of the Inhabitants neither may they depart from that City without the King 's special Licence In this Government are found no old Laws as among those of Europe no Imperial Edicts which had their original from the ancient Romans but those that are the first Founders of their own House and have by Conquest or otherwise resum'd the Government make new Statutes according to their pleasure This is the reason why the Laws which were in use before this last Invasion of the Tartars and are in part observ'd to this day by the People are of no longer standing then the Emperor Humvuo whose Race for his most heroick Actions in the Expulsion of the Tartars was call'd Tamin which signifies Great Courage This Emperor made several Laws and confirm'd others made by his Predecessors Their Emperor is commonly call'd Thiensu which signifies The Son of Heaven and this Name is given him not that they believe he had his Original from thence but because they believe he is better belov'd by being preferr'd to so great a Dignity above all other Mortals for his eminent and natural Vertues and because they adore and worship Heaven for the highest Deity so that when they name The Son of Heaven 't is as much as if they said The Son of God However the Commonalty call not the Emperor Thiensu but Hoangti The Yellow Emperor or The Emperor of the Earth whom they name Yellow of colour to distinguish him from Xangti which signifies The highest Emperor Two thousand six hundred ninety seven years before Christ's Birth their first Prince Reign'd who bore the Name of Hoangti and because of his extraordinary Vertues and valiant Deeds the Chineses have ever since call'd their Emperors Hoangti None are chosen or employ'd in the Government and Management of Publick Affairs but such as are held capable and have the Title of Doctors of the Law Men of great Learning and eminent Parts for whosoever is preferr'd in China to Places and Offices of Trust has given a clear testimony of his Knowledge Prudence Vertue and Valour neither the Favor of the Prince or Grandeur of his Friends standing him in any stead if he be not so extraordinarily qualifi'd All Magistrates both Civil and Military are call'd in the Country Idiome Quonfu which signifies Men fit for Council They are also call'd sometimes by the Name of Lavie which signifies Lord or Master The Portuguese call these Magistrates in China Mandorins it may be from the Latin word Mandando by which Name the Officers of that State in that Country are also receiv'd and understood by us of Europe And although I said at the beginning that the Government of this Kingdom or Empire consisted of one single Person yet it will appear by what has been said and what shall follow that the Government has also some Commixture with that of Aristocracy for although that which the Magistrate concludes and fully determines must afterwards be ratifi'd by the King upon Request made to him yet he also finisheth nothing himself in any Business before he is thereunto first desir'd by his Council It is also very certain That it is no way lawful for the King to confer any Office Dignity or Place in the Magistracy upon any unless he be first requested by one in special Authority But yet he hath Power to present his Courtiers with some special Gifts and this he often does according to an old Custom whereby it is free for any one to raise his Friends at his own Charge The Publick Taxes Assessments Impositions and Revenues are not brought into the King's Treasury neither may he dispose thereof at his Pleasure but they are deliver'd either in Money or Goods into the Treasury and Granary of the Empire which Income dischargeth the Expence of the King's Family consisting of Wives Concubines Sons Favorites and the like There are two distinct Councils in China one whereof not only officiates in Affairs of State at Court but has likewise the Care of the Kingdom The other is made up of Provincial Governors who Rule particular Provinces and Cities A Catalogue of which Officers fills up five or six large Volumes Printed every Month and to be sold at Peking where the Court resides In these Books are mention'd only the Names of Provinces and Cities and the Qualities of those who for that end are employ'd in the Magistracy through the whole Empire These Books are always re-printing in regard so vast a number of Alterations happen daily for some die others are laid aside and new ones chosen in their Places or else preferr'd to higher Offices so that there is hardly an hour but some Change happens amongst them The Grand Council divides it self into six other great ones The first is call'd Pu or The Council of State for they nominate and chuse all the Magistrates of the whole Nation these as they are most powerful have also the greatest Parts Persons able to judge of whom they confer such Dignities for they must be all qualifi'd with Philosophical and other Learning that come to any Place in the Magistracy the general Maxim there being To prefer none but meerly upon Merit and whosoever happens to be degraded for any Misdemeanor they never admit him to his Place again The second call'd Hopu hath the Management and Inspection over the King's Exchequer pays the Armies and other Charges of the Kingdom The third they name Limpu this takes care of the common Offerings Temples Priests the King's Women Schools and publick Places of Learning to see that all things be done in order likewise orders their Holy-days and the Obediences which are to be perform'd to the Emperor upon certain Times and Occasions also disposes and confers Titles of Honor upon such as deserve them takes care for the encouragement of Arts and Sciences sending and receiving of Ambassadors and the writing of Letters into all Parts The fourth Council is call'd Pimpu or The Council of War to whom is left the management of Peace and Military Affairs wherein however they are not to conclude any thing without the consent of the Emperor They dispose of all Places and Offices in the Army and confer Titles of Honor and Dignities accordingly upon such as behave themselves bravely in Conduct and valiantly in Battel The fifth Council call'd Cumym has the care about Buildings committed to it and also appoints Surveyors to look to the Repairs of the Edifices and Palaces belonging to the Emperor his Favorites and Magistrates they also look after the building of Vessels and the equipping of Fleets The sixth Council call'd Humpu Examines and Iudges all criminal Causes and appoints their Punishments All Affairs of the whole Kingdom are dispatch'd by these six Councils wherefore they have in each Province and City Officers and Notaries by whom they are inform'd of all Transactions which happen in each
or perfum'd Straw nor is their variety greater in substance than their difference in fashion for some are round others four-square c Such as are worn by the Grandees are made of white Paper gilt to open and shut at pleasure with one of which it is customary among them to Present each other as a token of Love and Friendship These Fan-makers also as aforesaid are employ'd much in the making of Quittesoles which are a kind of folding Canopies carried over the Heads of the Grandees by their Servants being made of the same Stuff with Fans and Lin'd with Silk or Linnen The Ruffians Travel through all parts of the Country with Women in their Companies and where by chance they find any handsom young Maids amongst the common sort of People they use all art and means to entice them away neither sparing Money or good Words whom if they prevail upon to follow them they afterwards teach to Dance and Sing so making them fitter for the Entertainment of their Hectoring Blades and wild Gallants When they are thus instructed the Male-Bawds endeavor to sell them either to the Grandees out-right or else to prostitute them for Money for a certain number of days which turns to a considerable advantage for every of these Brokers for impudence have several Women that belong unto them according as their ability is able to afford them a Maintenance They seldom stay long in a Place but go from Town to Town and there residing longest where they can meet with the best Markets Whosoever hires one of these Women for a Nights Lodging must receive her in the publick manner hereafter described viz. She is set upon an Ass and so conducted with a Hood over her Face to the House of him that sent for her and when she is come to his House she casts aside her Hood and then he receives and conducts her into the House There is also another sort of Beggars here who set fire to a combustible kind of Stuff upon their Heads which they suffer to burn there with such excessive pain and torment till they have extorted some Charity from the transient Company with their howling and crying enduring very great misery all that while And lastly Upon every publick Market-day there are to be seen whole Troops of blind Beggars in the several Cities and Towns who beat themselves upon their naked Breasts most furiously with great round Stones till the very Blood drops from them Besides what is mention'd before there are several other Trades in China as the Baking of Porcelane or China-Ware the Gumming and Painting of Chests Trunks and Boxes as also the Weaving of Carpents Damasks Cottons and several other Stuffs which I have thought fit to omit in this Chapter First in regard the same are already mention'd in the first part of our Relation and also because the Chineses do so infinitely abound in all manner of Arts and Handicraft-Trades that it would take up too much time to give a particular Account of the whole But notwithstanding this abundance of Trades in China a great Defect and Abuse is observ'd in most of the Commodities which are made there and it is this that they only appear and seem fair to the Eye but are really for the most part very sleight and for this cause they may well be afforded much cheaper to the Merchant CHAP. IV. Of some strange Customs Fashions and Manners in use amongst the Chineses THE ancient Chineses call'd their Kingdom or Empire in old Times by the Name of Courtesie or Civility and other known Manners yea and which is more Civility or Courtesie is held with them for one of the five principal Vertues amongst which as chief all others are comprehended The nature of this Vertue consists as they say in the shewing of mutual respect Now to be compleat herein and to be Masters of Ceremony they spend no small time to accomplish themselves yet some of them of a higher Speculation viewing humane Vicissitudes lament themselves that they cannot reject and shun these Complemental Formalities although they do therein far exceed those of Europe Wherefore in this Chapter I shall shew in what manner they Salute one another when they meet and afterwards Treat of some other Manners and Customs in use amongst them wherein they differ from others or amongst themselves It is held for no point of Civility amongst the Chineses to take off the Hat or to make Legs as it is usually term'd much leâ—s to embrace any Person or kiss his Hand or make any outward shew of Complement The most general and common way with them of shewing Civility is done after this manner They carry their Hands when they walk unless they are to Fan themselves or otherwise to use them always folded together in the Sleeve of their upper Garment which is made for that purpose so that when they meet they raise their Hands on high in the Sleeve with great Devotion and then let them fall again after the same manner Greeting each other with the word Cin which signifies Nothing When one comes to visit another or if two Friends meet in the Street they bow with their Hands in their Sleeves all the while the whole Body and their Heads three times to the Ground and this manner of Salutation is call'd Zoye In the performing of which Ceremony the Inferior always gives place to his Better and the Party visited gives the upper Hand to him that makes the Visit But in the Northern Parts of China the Visitant is plac'd on the left-hand Oftentimes also after they have done bowing they exchange Places and go off from the left to the right-hand and from the right to the left which is done for this reason that so the Party that is receiv'd in the highest Place should shew some Respect to the other again When this Ceremony happens to be in the Street both Parties turn themselves side to side toward the North and within Doors to the upper end of the Hall for it is an old Custom amongst them to lay the Threshold of the Palaces Temples and other Edifices to the South so that in regard this Ceremony is perform'd in the Hall next to the Threshold they turn their Faces to the upper end and and then they look toward the North. If so be both Parties meeting or visiting have not seen one another in a long time or perhaps never before and have a desire to bestow extraordinary Civilities upon each other then after performance of the first Ceremony they fall upon their Knees touching the Ground with their Foreheads and this they do three times together But when this Civility is to be shown by an Inferior to a Superior a Child to his Parent or a Subject to his Prince he receives the Honor done unto him either sitting or standing and only bowling a little when the other falls upon his Knees With the same and no greater Reverence and Honor they pay their Religious Duties to
so extraordinarily dexterous that no People in the World are to be compar'd with them The Tartar Women are generally Cloth'd in black Garments which hang loose about them but Persons of Quality wear generally Silk whereas the ordinary sort are content with Cotton Their Hair is neatly plaited and turn'd up only a few Locks hang down And those of the better sort wear upon their Heads Hats curiously wrought These Tartars eat whatsoever they can get but chiefly Flesh and that half roasted or boil'd being not curious of what sort it is whether of Camels Horses or other Creatures They take great delight in Hunting and have very swift Hounds for the Game But when all is said that almost can be we must add That they are in effect a Nation of Plunderers and Robbers being naturally inclin'd to those Vices And no wonder for they live generally without the Profession of any Religion But especially they have a great abhorrency to the Religion of Mahomet and possibly therefore hate the Turks as the Factors of that Religion but a more probable reason may be because the said Hunguvus Founder of the Race of Taicinga expell'd the Tartars out of China by the assistance of the Turks They burn the dead Bodies after the manner of the Indians upon very high Heaps of Wood on which Funeral Pile are also laid the Women Servants Horses and Arms of the Deceased Notwithstanding all which Heathenish blindness they are however very careful and sollicitous about the state of their Souls as whether they are to expect after this Life another or whether they do not presently die with the Body by reason of which many of them are very ready to embrace Christianity and divers of them after the Conquest of China were converted to the Catholick Religion As to their Language which they speak in the Kingdom of Ninche it is not so difficult to learn as that of China but more resembles the Persian Tongue Some of their Letters both for fashion and pronunciation are like the Arabick which in all are above sixty in number and do not much differ in the pronunciation and spelling from those in Europe but very much in the form and make In Reading and Writing they proceed from the top to the bottom after the manner of the Chineses and not from the left to the right side as we do in Europe nor from the right to the left as do the Arabians and Hebrews In this Kingdom of Ninche are found excellent Rubies and costly Pearls besides other Precious Stones Also very large Cattel especially Cows which exceed those in Europe for bigness but have no Horns The Western part of this Country is very full of Rocks and Hills between which lies most fertile and pleasant Valleys and fruitful Fields The biggest Mountain of all is call'd Kin which signifies Gold There is also the Mountain Changpe which reaches a thousand Miles and in the middle of which is a Sea-like Mere at least eighty Miles long from whence two Rivers take their rise the one call'd Yalo running to the South and the other Guenthung taking its course to the North. And thus much shall suffice for the Description of East-Tartary or the Kingdom of Ninche whose Inhabitants in manner afore-mention'd the Chinese Emperor kept in awe But on the contrary to the West-Tartars which possess the Kingdom of Tanyn the same Emperors sent Presents and Tribute yearly that they should not make War upon them for they hold it no Scandal to prevent a War by that means nay they hold it altogether unlawful to enter into a War so long as the Country can be kept from Invasions by any other means But yet although the Chineses on the one Hand kept under their Enemies by force of Arms and on the other bought a Peace with Presents and Tribute yet they liv'd in continual Fears and Mistrust insomuch that they always kept the Great Wall which divides China and Tartary strongly guarded with at least a Million of Men. But to return from whence we have digressed The Throne of China being setled in the Race of Taiminga was by the same enjoy'd in peace and quietness two hundred and fifty years when Vanticus the thirteenth Emperor a just prudent and upright Prince came to Reign which was in the Year 1573 after Christ's Birth But herein he was unfortunate that he as most Princes secur'd by long Peace trusted too much to his Governors and Mandorins and suffer'd the whole weight of his Affairs to lie upon their Shoulders During this time the Tartars of Ninche as is before-mention'd being form'd from a Popular Government into a Monarchy in the Year 1600. their first King was a Man of so great Courage and Magnanimity that all their Neighbors and especially the Chineses began to be afraid of him for he manag'd the Affairs of his State after such a politick and prudent manner that in a short time his Subjects became not only very numerous but formidable for Strength to all their Borderers and being sensible of their own Greatness and that their Fame began to grow terrible they began to call to mind the ancient Glory of their Conquests and to consider how shamefully they had been heretofore driven out of the possession of the honorable Acquisitions of their Ancestors and observing likewise the great Miscarriages and Neglects of the Chineses in the management of the Government they resolv'd upon some sudden and great Undertaking against them therefore weighing with themselves the Yoke of Servitude they lay under as a fit occasion of Quarrel they began first of all to shake off the same and to refuse to pay Tribute and shortly after to appear in their true Colours by publickly opposing the Authority that was over them The Chinese Governors whereof the most in Leaotung the Province bordering nearest to the Kingdom of Ninche are Military Commanders hearing of this concluded very unadvisedly to misuse the Tartars in the most cruel manner thereby the more to incite them to War so hazarding their Countries Weal for their private hoped for Lucre for by the War they thought to have a fairer opportunity to enrich themselves as well upon the Tartars as Chineses These indeed might be and questionless were great Motives to the War But the chiefest Reason of all was the base Murder committed by them upon the King of Ninche for they looking upon him with an envious Eye seeing him increase his Kingdom so very much in Power and Strength which they fancied would be at one time or other employ'd against them consulted and conspir'd to make him away which they contriv'd and in a most barbarous manner they thus effected They came one day upon pretence of a Visit to the King with a feigned Affection who not having the least suspicion of their wicked Design they easily surpris'd him took him Prisoner and put him to death but the better to gloze over the Villany gave out that he died suddenly of an Apoplexy This
Fight furiously assail'd the Coreans in their Station so that there began a bloody Battel but both Armies were hardly Engag'd before the valiant Maovenlung came up with his and fell like Lightning into the Rere of the Tartars who now finding themselves beset before and behind with two such potent Armies and no other way for safety or escape than what their Zables could cut out for them resolv'd not to part with their Lives at a cheap rate and spurr'd on by despair they fought without any fear every one endeavoring to exceed the other in Valour and Courage so that in the very Writings of the Chineses they are extoll'd saying There was never the like Battel fought between them But that which is chiefly to be admir'd is that of three so great Armies none obtain'd the Victory but were all of them almost totally ruined and destroy'd There were kill'd fifty thousand Men on the side of the Tartars those of Corea had seventy thousand slain but the loss of the Chineses was so great that few or none escaped Those of the Tartars that surviv'd made their way home into their own Country as fast as they could by which means the King of Corea had the opportunity of recovering his Country again The Tartars having sustain'd so great an Overthrow were very careful afterwards how they provok'd the Inhabitants of Corea yet still they continu'd to make several Inroads into the Province of Leaotung till at last they wholly subdu'd the Eastern part and plunder'd the remainder thereof but this was done by fits and at several times for they never durst venture to seat themselves there nay they paid oftentimes very dear for their Robberies While Affairs stood in this posture the Emperor of China whose Name was Zungchinius sent his General Yvenus with a strong Army and a large Commission toward Leaotung having also private Instructions to conclude a Peace with the Tartars if they would agree to it but if they refus'd then forthwith to make a sharp War upon them And to say truth he was necessitated to make this Proposition for that his whole Empire was as it were over-spread with Highway-men and Robbers so that he stood in greatest fear of them for their numbers daily so increased that if they should once joyn into one Body it would be no difficult matter for them to make themselves Masters of the Kingdom This Yvenus upon whom the Emperor had conferr'd such high and ample Authority was a perfect Courtier of an affable and free Speech and one that knew very well how to use his Pen with so much advantage and ingenuity that there was hardly any one in the Court to be compar'd with him By these singular Perfections he had won not only the Heart of the Emperor but of all the Grandees so that the management of all Affairs was wholly left to him But here it must be observ'd That he was insatiably covetous of Wealth and consequently for obtaining thereof stuck not to perpetrate any clandestine Mischief otherwise by his more than common Parts he might undoubtedly have done extraordinary Services both to his Prince and Country But neither the greatness of the Trust repos'd in him nor the Love of his Country were in any measure answerable to his Thirst after Riches Unde habeat quaerat nemo sed oportet habere Of which avaricious temper of his the Tartars having information and looking upon him as a fit Instrument to be employ'd in their Design they never left sending to him extraordinary Presents accompanied with large Promises of the most eminent Preferments With which Baits being taken he contracted Friendship with them promising to give them his Assistance when it should lie in his power And as the first Proof of his Friendship to them through the cunning instigation of the Tartars he undertook privately to murther the valiant and faithful Commander Maoâ—enlung of whom the Tartars stood in great fear and awe which he accordingly effected with great secresie by inviting him to Dinner and poisoning him with a Cup of Drink which he caus'd to be given him at the Table Having thus clandestinely accomplish'd this his monstrous Undertaking he concludes a Peace with the Tartars upon most dishonorable and disadvantageous Terms for his Prince who no sooner read the same but he refus'd to Observe and Ratifie them Yvenus conscious of what he had done and well seeing that upon the making good of this Treaty of Peace his Honor and Authority depended advis'd the Tartars to force the Emperor his natural â—ord to the Observation thereof by force of Arms Whereupon in the year 1630. upon his Promises not to oppose them in the least if they would make an Invasion in some other Part of the Empire where he had no Command this treacherous Advice was no sooner given than accepted and put in execution for the Tartars doubted so little of the Promises of Yvenus by reason of his extraordinary Covetousness that without taking any further Counsel they pour'd their Forces into the Province of Peking Plundering all Places where they came and laying the same afterwards in Ashes and at last so was their Courage or rather Fury heightned that they laid Siege to the Imperial City of Peking at whose approach it is no marvel if the confusion and amazement were great not only amongst the Citizens but also amongst the Rix-Counsellors who in this dangerous vicissitude of Affairs earnestly advis'd the Emperor to leave the City and to retire to the Southern Provinces but he would by no means hearken to their Counsel saying That he would rather be cut in a thousand Pieces than that it should be said he fled for fear of the Tartars Wherefore both as a Valiant Soldier and Careful Prince he immediately gave order to his Commanders not to suffer any to depart out of the City upon pain of death but that they should incite and stir up all the People to a Courageous Defence While this was doing within the Tartars without began to Storm the City but were beaten off with great loss upon several Attempts so that they concluded to continue the Siege with more moderation and rather endeavor to take it by Famine than hazard the weakning of their Army by such fruitless and unsuccessful Assaults At length by advice of his Council the Emperor sent for Yvenus to come to his Assistance and Relief with the Army under his Command for as yet his Treachery was not discover'd who upon the first Intelligence to prevent the Emperor from having any suspicion of him came with his Army under the Walls of Peking but kept at a great distance from that of the Besiegers neither shew'd he any hostility against them but in stead thereof advis'd the Emperor to the Observation of the Terms upon which the Treaty of Peace the cause of this War had begun And this he strongly labor'd to perswade him to not only to prevent the discovery of the Treason but that so he might
the City of Cancheu but he had â—ot continu'd the Siege many days before there was advice brought him of a new Army of Tartars sent from Peking to reduce the Province of Kiangsi insomuch that Kinus fearing to fall into a Noose broke up his Siege and march'd toward the Northern parts of Kiangsi to defend and preserve the same from being overcome by the Tartars At first indeed he fought with good success but at last finding himself over-power'd he retreated for safety to the Chief City of Nanchang which having suffer'd all the miseries of a tedious Siege was at last taken but Kinus escap'd alive out of it and got to the Mountains as has been already related at large This City thus subdu'd they were Masters of the whole Province and put new Garrisons into most of the Cities and Places of Concern and so march'd back with their Army in triumph to Peking While these Transactions were on foot very great Preparations for War had been making in Peking so that three new Armies were rais'd to reduce the Province of Quantung and others which still held forth and took part with Iunglieus Whereupon the Guardian and Uncle of the Grand Tartar Cham call'd Xunchi who now Reigns in China the better to reduce the Southern Provinces into Subjection and rectifie their Disorder resolv'd to appoint some Vice-Roys over those Provinces who being Tartars by Nation should have absolute Power only with Obligation to pay Tribute yearly to the Emperor This Counsel was immediately put in Execution and in the Year 1649. when the Province of Kiangsi was full of uprore three Vice-Roys were sent with three Armies which consisted for the most part of Tartars from Peking the one was made Vice-Roy of Fokien the other of Quantung and the third of Quangsi with express Order to endeavor jointly the subduing reducing and total conquering of Quantung and to drive the Emperor Iunglieus out of the whole Empire Hitherto we have only spoken of what hapned in the Southern Provinces concerning the Chineses Revolts we shall now proceed to give an Account how Affairs went in the Northern Provinces by which it will appear with how much Zeal the Chineses were concern'd for their Liberties and the Welfare of their Country for the Commanders in Chief over the Northern Provinces as well those that had the Power over the Civil as Military Affairs plotted together which way they should drive out the Tartars Whereupon they raised as many Forces as they could privately and chose one Hous to be their General who coming to the Army which he found to consist of about twenty five thousand Men march'd therewith from among the Mountains into the Plain Country whereupon many of the Natives perceiving his Strength came in to him and several Cities set open their Gates and receiv'd him and his Army only Xigan the first Chief City of Xensi withstood him being in truth compell'd thereto having a strong Garrison of Tartars in it besides the Governor thereof having observ'd that the Chineses made no resistance but rather freely submitted to him and fearing lest the Citizens might carry on some private Design against him resolv'd to put to Death all the Chineses within the City which he had undoubtedly put in execution had he not been dissuaded from it by one of the Vice-Roys yet still jealous of them and willing to prevent any Conspiracy by them he forbad upon pain of Death that any more than two Chineses should converse together at a time and that none should walk the Streets in the Night nor keep any Arms in their Houses Not yet satisfi'd with all this Care but to be throughly inform'd of the Forces of Hous he sends out Spies to bring him intelligence of the Strength and Posture of the Enemies at last Hous comes with his Army which now increas'd with the conflux of Country People that shelter'd themselves there amounted at least to the number of three hundred thousand and Besieg'd Xigan which is at least three Miles in compass When the Tartar Governor saw from the Walls such a vast number of Men he stood amaz'd as supposing they had been all Soldiers which caus'd him again to pass a second cruel Resolution to make away all the Chinese Inhabitants within the City to prevent any Correspondence between them and Hous but finding that those that serv'd him and were sent out to fight behav'd themselves valiantly he forbore to execute such a barbarous Resolve In the mean time Hous perceiving that no Attempt he could make would prevail against the City broke up the Siege which he was the rather induc'd to do because he had receiv'd intelligence that a strong Army was upon their March for relief of the same Hous endeavor'd to save himself by a timely flight but the Tartar Horse overtook the Rere of his Army and kill'd a great number of them but what became of him was never known in regard he never after appear'd publickly and indeed it is more than probable that he was either kill'd in the Fight or ended his days in the Mountains And thus the Chineses effected as little by their Insurrections and Plottings against the Tartar in the Northern Provinces as they had done in the Southern for there follow'd nothing upon it but a total destruction of their Cities and the ruine both of the People and Country drawn upon themselves and with the greatest severity executed in revenge of their Revolt The Tartars having thus successfully pacifi'd all these Troubles and Commotions could not yet be at Peace but fell again into other as great Dangers and Difficulties as the former which they brought upon themselves by their own Pride and Wantonness for in the Year 1649. the young Imperial Cham Xunchius having attain'd the Age of twelve years was desir'd by his Uncle to take to Wife the Daughter of the King of West-Tartary otherwise call'd The Kingdom of Taniju which Alliance would not only strengthen him but also would be a means to establish him in his Throne To that end one of his Uncles was sent in Embassy to the same King in which Iourney he hapned to pass through Taitung the third Chief City and call'd The Key of the Province of Xansi for it is a very strong Place and serves as a Bulwark and Defence against the Invasions of those Western Tartars into China moreover it is reported the most famous of all others for the beautiful Women which live there The Tartars who attended on this Ambassador in their Passage through this Place ravish'd and took away some of these Women and amongst the rest a Bride of great Quality as she was carried by chance through the Street to the House of her Bridegroom a thing that is held very abominable among the Inhabitants of Taitung At this time was one Kiangus a Commander in the Army Governor of that Province for the Tartars to whom the Friends and Relations of the Virgin that was carried away by force came
Stone it self to the Eye of the whole World in the Chinesian Idiome as it was Sculp'd in the Year of Christ 782. that from this most ancient Testimony every one may conjecture how true the Doctrine of the Catholicks is seeing the same was Preach'd in an opposite Quarter of the World amongst the Chineses Anno 636. of our Saviour that is about a thousand years since The Chinesian Original of the Stone is now conserv'd in the Library of the Roman Colledge that belongeth to the Fathers of the Society of Iesus and another Copy is to be seen in the Repository of the House of the Profession I my self also obtain'd from the most Grave Chinese Doctors and Masters at the very time that the Monument was found a Book Printed in the Chinese Language in which the Writing of the Stone was most truly and exactly express'd according to the true Original They advise the Chineses in the larger Preface adjoin'd to the Book that at length they would have recourse to the Masters of the great Occident for so they term the Fathers of the Society of Iesus and discover whether they Preach the same Law amongst the Chineses which their Ancestors with so many Emperors embrac'd a thousand Centuries ago and which the Fathers of the Society of Iesus exhibited in the Books Printed in the Chinese Language before the Stone was found Now it only remaineth that I should declare how this Marble Table was detected When after the Death of St. Francis Xavier the venerable Father Matthew Riccius and other Fathers of the Society of Iesus had introduc'd the Gospel of Christ into the more Inland Parts of China and had erected Residences and Churches in some Provinces and therefore the Propagation of the Holy Faith had made no small progress in that of Xensi Anno 1625. one of the Fathers of the same Society invited by Doctor Philip having Baptiz'd twenty Persons in his native Country of Sanyven he went with the same Doctor to see a Stone which they had found some Months before in the Village Chenche near the Metropolis Siganfu whilst they were casting up the Rubbish for the building of a Wall This Father writes which other Fathers who had fix'd their Abode and erected a Church in Siganfu with the Christians and Heathens also affirm'd That a Stone was found five Hands broad one thick and nine long the top whereof made like an oblong Pyramid of two Hands and one broad on the Vertex the Cross was Engraven above the Clouds that with its Branches seem'd to imitate the Flower-Deluce besides the Chinesian Inscription on the left side and beneath there appear'd the Names of the Syrian Priests and also other Chinesian Names of the same Priests under-written It is the Custom of the Chineses to have many Names whence also the Christians at this Day retain both the Name of the Saints they receiv'd in Baptism and another Chinese Name The Governor of the Place being certifi'd of the finding of this Monument commanded an elegant Composition to be made in praise of it and to be Engraven on such another like Marble Stone causing both of them to be plac'd in the Fane or Temple of the Bonzi that are call'd Tan Su a Mile distant from the Walls of the Metropolis Siganfu as a perpetual remembrance of the same Many other Footsteps of the Catholick Faith Preach'd to the Chineses were discover'd in the following Years which God seemeth not willing to have manifested but only at that very time in which the Preaching of the same Faith arriv'd amongst the Chineses by the Labor of the Fathers of our Society that so both the old and new Testimonies might affect the identity of the Catholick Faith and the truth of the Gospel might be rendred perspicuous and manifest unto all The like Images of the Holy Cross were seen in the Province of Fokien in the Year 1630. In the Province of Kiangsi also a miraculous Light shone forth Anno 1635. which was beheld by the Gentiles and also in the Mountains of Fokien and in the City Cyvencheu 1643. Crosses were found yea the venerable Father Martin Riccius when first he came into China found Xe tsu Kiao to be a Name signifying The Doctrine of the Crosses by which the Christians anciently that were Disciples of that Doctrine of the Cross were nam'd and I doubt not but all that were Christians in the Kingdoms of China when the Tartars about three hundred years past first invaded China and that they liv'd there mix'd with Sarazens Iews Nestorians and Gentiles that is to say in the Time of Marcus Paulus Venetus who travell'd unto Catay which is the very same with that we now call China And now whether St. Thomas or any other Apostle first Preach'd the Gospel to the Chineses is not yet certainly known Father Nicholas Trigautius collecteth from some ancient Testimonies of the Christians of the Church of Malabar in the Arch-bishoprick of Cranganor or De Serra which are termed The Christians of St. Thomas That in that Place as also in Meliapor which formerly was call'd Calamina and now by the Portuguese San Thome the holy Apostle Preach'd by reason that out of their Gaza or Treasury in the Office of St. Thomas is recited or rehearsed That by St. Thomas the Chineses and Ethiopians were Converted to the Truth by St. Thomas the Kingdom of Heaven took its flight and ascended to the Chineses And in the Antiphono the Ethiopians Indians Chineses and Persians in commemoration of St. Thomas Offer up Adoration unto his holy Name Also in an ancient Synodical Canon the Bishops of the great Province viz. those other Metropolitans of China India and Pases do send their Letters of Consent Add withal That he that Govern'd the Church De Serra at the coming of the Portuguese subscrib'd himself Metropolitan of all India and China But in truth things being more narrowly consider'd from those Circumstances and Footsteps which began to be manifest after the time of Father Trigautius we cannot certainly conclude that St. Thomas the Apostle Preach'd the Gospel himself amongst the Chineses for although these Footsteps of the Faith of Christ here found do evidently shew That the Christian Belief hath been in China yet notwithstanding those very Paths or Tracts do demonstrate that the Faith had its entrance into China when the Family of Heuhan Rul'd over three Kingdoms which are now united in Nanking the third Province of the Empire viz. in the Province of Kiangsi at the Shore of the River for Antron-Cross seems by its Inscription to have been fix'd according to the Chinesian Computation about the Year of Christ 239. which Cross weigh'd about three thousand weight whence the Faith and the Preachers of the same are certainly evinc'd to have come amongst the Southern Chineses about a thousand four hundred and fifteen years ago But in some years following the Knowledge of the Gospel being extinguish'd it was again renew'd by Priests out of Tacyu
remain'd unexplain'd hitherto by reason of the want of Men in China that are vers'd in those Characters and for that very cause was sent into Europe by the Portuguese Fathers of our Society to be explicated by Persons skill'd in the Syrian Language I first of all undertook the Interpretation thereof and that with good success discharging the same with equal fidelity and diligence Now it is Engrav'd on the Margins of the Stone in the ancient Syriack Characters that are term'd Estrangelo and it containeth the Year the Names and Offices of those Apostolical Men and Promoters of the Divine Law that were then in China when the Stone was erected Father Emanuel Dias in a certain Letter written in the Portuguese Tongue Dated from Maccao August 23. 1625. taketh notice of this Stone and of the Inscriptions mention'd His words translated are these In the Province of Xensi in China where now Trigautius resideth a certain Stone of about twenty four Hands breath was digg'd up in which is manifestly apparent that above a thousand two hundred and forty three years since there were Christians with shaven Crowns that Preach'd the Mystery of the Trinity and Incarnation and that the Kings of China conferr'd many Favors on them Doctor Leo desir'd to have the whole Matter Printed first transcrib'd by the Mandorins that were Christians to shew all the Mysteries contain'd on the Stone that the same might more plainly appear At present we only endeavor that the Matter may come to the knowledge of the Emperor God prosper all to his own Glory Father Francis Hurtado from the Province of Nancheu also confirmeth this and addeth That in the same Year a Passage was open'd into the new Provinces of the Empire of China viz. Xensi Xansi Fohum which last is conterminate with Couchinchina and easily admitteth of Strangers And thus proceeding says Unto these were annexed ten or twelve Lines in Syriack which I could not Interpret also the Priviledges granted by the Kings of China to the Priests of that Law were adjoin'd The Version was made word for word out of the Chinese Language There were also other Translations but they all agree in the Essential Matters It is Recorded in the Books of the Kings of China that the Christian Faith arriv'd amongst the Chineses above 994 years since and that this Inscription was made 140 years after its entrance Thus Father Emanuel Dias But in other Letters of a more later Date from Maccao 21 Novemb. 1627. we find it thus written concerning this City Some years since there was found a very long and ancient Writing Engraven on a Stone in the Chinesâ—â— and Chaldean or Syrian Language from whence it is evident That the Law of our Lord and Saviour arriv'd amongst the Chineses about a thousand years since Anno Dom. 636. Now the Stone was erected and inscrib'd Anno 782. that is a hundred and forty six years after the Preaching of the Gospel there by which a great Conversion unto the Faith was wrought Churches were built and Bishops constituted The Kings that Govern'd at that time are reckon'd about eight whose Names are express'd in that Stone and who â—ll of them favor'd the Christians Now the Preachers of this Law came out of Palestine and other adjoining Places It containeth the chief Misteries of our Faith which are manifest from the Inscription All which are largely evident from the foremention'd Testimonies of Father Boim Martinius and Daniel Bartolus which were collected from the Study of the Colledge of our Society But I think it will be worth our time to produce this Syrian Inscription in the same Strangelick Characters in which it was express'd in China together with the Interpretation especially seeing the Fathers of our Society in China therefore sent it hither into Europe in a particular Folio Printed in China by the Masters of that Language for a better Explanation of it For this being Explain'd I hope it will so come to pass that both the Day the Names the Country and the Offices of the Preachers of the Divine Law and finally our Design will the more evidently be discover'd The Inscription of the Syriack Names is two-fold one of them Sculp'd on the Margin the other on the Foot of the Monument And because this latter containeth the Year of its Erection we shall begin the Thred of our Exposition from it The Syrian Inscription is as followeth Adam Kasiso Ucurapiscupo Upapasi di Zinstà n Bejume Abo dabohotho Mor Haâ—an Iesua Kataliko Patriarchis Besanath alf utisaain utarten dia vanoie Mor libuzad Kasiso Ucurapiscupo de Cumdan medinah malcutho bar nihh napso Milis Kasiso dmâ— Balehh Medintho Tahhurstan Akim Lucho hono Papa dicta bou beh medaharnaâ—ho dpharukan Ucaruzuthon dabhain daluat malche dizinio Adam Meschamschono Bar Iidbuzad Curaphiscopo Mar Sargis Kasiso Ucurapiscupo Sarnischua Kasiso Gabriel Kasiso Varcodia cun Urisch ahito de Cumbdan u Dasrag This the Explication of it Adam Priest or Presbyter and Archbishop and Pope of Zindostan or the Region of China where note that Stan in the Indian Language signifieth A Region whence are deriv'd Indostan Turkistan or Turchestan and the like Names that signifie the same even as the following German Names Friesland and Franckeland signifie the Regions of Frisia and Francovia and other innumerable words of the like kind all which are compounded of the German word Land which as the Indian word Stan is the proper Name of a Region or Place Which I though fit here to alledge that the Reader might not be ignorant why China is call'd Zindostan in the Days of the Father of Fathers the Lord Hanan Iesua or Iohn Iosue Catholick Patriarch you must understand either the Patriarch of Alexandria or of Antioch or of Babylon who are properly call'd Universal or Catholick Patriarchs in the Year 1092. according to the Grecian Compute The Lord Iidbuzad Priest and Vicar-Bishop of Cumdan City of the Kingdom so they phrase the Metropolis Son of Milis Peace be to his Soul Priest of Belehh a City of Tahurstan you must read Turchestan Pope so they term the Chief in any Ecclesiastical Order erected this Table and the Administration or Government of our Savionr is Inscrib'd in it and also the Preaching of our Fathers who resided with the Kings of China Adam the Deacon Son of Iidbuzad Episcopal Vicar Mar Sargis Presbyter and Episcopal Vicar Sarnischua Presbyter Gabriel Presbyter and Archdeacon Head of the Churches of Cumdan and Dasrag And these are found in the Folio Printed in China which are also seen Inscâ—lp'd on the Stone But before I proceed any farther I must clear one Difficulty which occurreth about the Year of the Erection of this Stone for the Year of this Stone in the Chinesian Inscription is found so different from that of the Syriack that not a few Persons being perplex'd with the diversity alledg'd their Doubts unto me concerning the true and faithful Interpretation of the Monument for the Portuguese Version out of
Strangers as understood not the year of Christ might here find that of Alexander which extended farthâ—r and with which perhaps they might be better acquainted From hence it is also manifest that the Syrian or Chaldean Tongue in those Times was common to the Churches of Syria Palestine Egypt and Babylon yea peculiar to them in Christ's time so that it is no wonder that the Gospel of Christ immediately after the Travels of the Apostles throughout the whole World was carried not only into the most remote Regions of the East but also into the adjacent Regions of Babylon Egypt and Ethiopia where as if in the native Birth-places of the Church the Syrian or Chaldean Tongue took such root that it was thereby spread throughout all the Coasts of India as I have said before and the utmost Regions of China But of this more in the following Discourses OF THE VARIOUS Voyages and Travels UNDERTAKEN INTO CHINA PART II. CHAP. I. By whom and by what means the Holy Gospel of Christ was at divers times introduc'd into the uttermost Regions of the East into India Tartaria China and other Countries of Asia SEeing that at this very Day in India China and other Regions of Asia there are yet remaining frequent footsteps of the Christian Religion as I have shew'n even now I think it will be worth while if having Explain'd the Syro-Chaldean Monument found in China I now give a brief Account by what way and occasion these Apostolical Persons penetrated into those most remote Quarters of the World for having accomplish'd this it will clearly appear that at all times Syria Egypt and Grecia have been a Seminary not only of promoting the Christian Religion in the far distant Regions but also before the coming of Christ they were the Propagators of all Superstition throughout the World And that I may proceed with the more clearness in a Matter so abstruse I shall first here set down the Opinions of some concerning them so that those things being discussed it may more evidently appear what ought to be resolv'd concerning the Matter propos'd First therefore there are some Persons who assert That these Colonies of the Christians first of all entred China and the other Regions of Asia by the assistance of that great Asiatick Emperor usually term'd Presbyter Iohn But then again seeing that this is a great Controversie amongst Authors concerning this Emperor and the Situation Quality and Condition of his Kingdom or Empire I shall in the first place alledge something concerning this Prince and his Dominions for the more clear Explication of the Matter or Subject albeit I have already treated of the same in my Prodromus Coptus Who was that famous Presbyter Iohn and whether there ever were such an Emmperor NOw therefore as the Kings of Egypt were at first call'd Pharaohs and afterwards Ptolemyes those of Mauritania Seriphii those of the Persians formerly Xerxes Artaxerxes and now Sophi so the Name of Presbyter Iohn hath now for a long time denoted the Dignity of some Christian Prince whose Dominions are plac'd by consent of the most knowing Persons not amongst the Ethiopians or in any part of Africa as some falsly suppose but in the Continent of Asia yet in what Place he Rul'd is not exactly known Now some Writers affirming that they were the Kings of Cathay have thereby rendred the Matter more doubtful seeing it hath been discover'd in these latter Years that all Cathay belongeth unto China and that there is no City or Territory call'd by this Name that is now found without the Bounds of China And in this all the Fathers of our Society who have continu'd in China for many years do agree who are Persons very well skill'd in Geographical Knowledge as Matthew Riccius Nicholas Trigautius Alvarus Samedus Michael Boiâ— Martin Martinius Iohn Gruberus and Iohn Adams that great Mandorin of the Kingdom of China and lastly Benedict Goes of the same Society who by order from his Superiors travell'd from the Kingdom of Magor purposely to find out Cathay by a Land-Voyage I believe that it is not far wide of the Truth that besides that portion of Land which by the Name of Cathay was found by the Fathers of our Society within the Limits of China there is another Quarter of the World much larger conterminate on the North and West unto the Empire of China But seeing that all that Region without the Walls of China is a Desart almost of two Months travel incultivated and destitute of Inhabitants it is probable that the Region of China in latter Times as being very much manur'd and abounding in all things might properly be call'd Cathay And that the Desart at this day call'd Kalmuk and the Regions confining on it without the Walls in former Ages had the Name of Cathay the Desart in the adjoining Kingdoms of which that same Presbyter Iohn of whom even now we treated Rul'd in the days of our Ancestors Marcus Paulus Venetus termeth it The Empire of the Great Cham the Holy Scriptures as Arias Montanus will have it Gog and Magog concerning which thus writeth Sybilla Heu tibi Gogque Magogque aliisque ex ordine cunctis Marson atque Angon tibi quot mala fata propinquant Now that this is the Scythian Cathay is shew'd by the Arabick Geographer throughout the four entire last Climates where he describeth it to abound in Men Animals and Minerals flourishing with Christians meer'd and inclos'd with the vast extended Skirts of Caucasus call'd Iagog and Magog Thus the Arabian Geographer in his ninth Part Climate 5. Line 21. his words are to this effect as I have translated them out of the Arabick From the Mansion Gerrada to the City Tahamet on the South Quarter are four Leucae whereof one maketh twenty five Miles from the City Geerada even unto the Mountain which is call'd Caucasus is seven days travel And this Mountain encompasseth the Regions of Iagog and Magog It hath such craggy and difficult sides that none can ascend it and if any one doth attempt it he can never arrive at the top being obstructed by continual Snows congeal'd into Ice which because they are never dissolv'd represent the similude of a Mist or thick Cloud perpetually fix'd on the top of the mountainous Caucasian Rocks On the other side the Mountain are many Cities of Iagog and Magog And it often hapneth that the Inhabitants of this Region out of a certain curiosity ascend some part of it to discover what is on the top of the Mountain and what is beyond but many never return either â—ecause they are devour'd by wild Beasts or taken by the Transmountainers but some that have return'd safe relate That in the Region on the other side of the Mountain in the Night are many Fires but in the Day nothing else but a thick Cloud mix'd with Darkness is discover'd Also in the seventh Part of the same Climate Line 34. he adds In these Regions many Christians or Nazaraeans do
People do Adore him with a perpetual Veneration And they report that these Ceremonies and Worship had their original from no other Person than that Prince which Authors usually term Presbyter Iohn whom they are certainly persuaded to have Rul'd in the Kingdom of Tanchut which is now included under the Dominion of the Kingdom of Lassa for as formerly they went in Pilgrimage from all Parts of Tartary unto him as unto an Oracle so at this very time they cease not from all Parts to flock unto this ridiculous God and Father the Head of the Lamae to obtain his Benediction so that Anno 1629. that great Tartarian Monarch of the Chineses as soon as he had subdu'd the Empire of China according to the Custom practis'd by his Ancestors was solicited by the Magistrates of Tartary to do Homage to the Great Lama that is The Priest as to the Supreme Bishop or Pope of the Religion of the Tartars and the Business was brought unto that accomplishment that the Emperor through the Advice of his Council was resolv'd to meet with the Great Lama now coming towards him even unto the Walls of the Empire of China in a Progress almost of two Months space if Father Iohn Adams an intimate Associate of the Emperor out of an extreme hatred unto the thing had not shew'd himself averse and opposite and that by the allegation of many weighty Reasons which Persuasions of the aforesaid Father took so good effect that the Emperor was so far from vouchsafing to go forwards out of the City to meet him that he would hardly give him any farther entrance or admission than the Garden of the Palace of Pequin and at length after the usual Mode being Presented with divers Presents dismissed him unto his own Kingdom wholly neglecting all those accustom'd Ceremonies that were usually perform'd and he that was suppos'd to have conferr'd great Prosperity and Happiness by his Approach and Benediction brought the contrary Effects with him for that ridiculous Archpriest after his departure incurr'd the Curses and Malediction of all Persons as being the seeming Cause of Famine Pestilence and War But to return to our purpose I say therefore That 't is very probable this Presbyter Iohn resided in the Kingdom of Tanchut for he and his Successors Ruling far and wide in Asia and worthily promoting the Christian Faith those Preachers of the Word of God either being call'd or of their own accord out of zeal to advance the Christian Faith or which is more likely being compell'd by Fear and flying from the aforesaid Places in the time of that horrid Persecution which began under the Empire of Dioclesian and Maximianus in which on the Confines of Syria Egypt and the adjacent Places of Ethiopia the Followers of the Christian Doctrine were every where enquir'd and sought after to be put to most cruel Torments they sat down and Planted themselves in the middle of Persia Bactria and Turchestan and then it is altogether probable that by degrees after long Exilement arriv'd in the utmost Regions of Asia and lastly Anno 600. in the time of the Empire of Heraclius persidious and debauch'd Mahomet then rebelling new Colonies were continually transplanted into the aforesaid Regions of the East For it is manifest that the Syrian or Babylonian Priests giving place to the fury of the Infidels ceased not in succession of time to propagate the Christian Religion as the alledg'd Syriack Inscription doth clearly shew where Iidbuzad Bishop of China is call'd the Son of Noah a certain Priest of the City of Balech in the Kingdom of Turchestan as is manifest from the Syriack words above-cited and here again repeated viz-Anno 1902. Iidbuzad Priest and Vicar of the Bishop of the Regal City of Cumdan Son of Noah a Priest Native of the City Belech in the Kingdom of Turchestan Now that Turchestan is the same Region which the Persians call Usbec the beginning of Great Cathay and the City Belech seated in it is clear from the Arabian Geographer Part 8. Climate 4. Line 34. where treating concerning the Turchestians a peculiar Province of the Corafini he placeth the Situation of the City Belech not far from Samarcande the Regal Court of Great Tamberlain formerly a most famous City his words are these as they are Translated by me out of the Arabick Now this is the eighth Part of the fourth Climate and containeth a portion of the Region of Corasina from Karman even to Kasaralkamat fifteen Miles hence to Samarcande six Miles and it is the Road of those that pass from Samarcande unto the City of Belech Whence it is plainly manifest that Iidbuzad Vicar of the Bishop term'd a Syrian by Original or Descent was of the Country of Turchestan or Corasine And it is evident from the Syro-Chinesian Inscription of the Stone that many of the Region of the Pagodes and other Countries of Asia penetrated into China for the advancement of the Gospel All which we leave farther to be enquir'd after by the curious Reader And thus much shall suffice concerning the Transplanting of the Colonies in the Kingdoms of Presbyter Iohn and in China Moreover those who suppose that most of these Evangelical Persons first arriv'd in India out of Syria Egypt and Ethiopia and having converted that Country by their Labors to the Faith of Christ afterwards sent out some Colonies from amongst them into China by reason of the frequent Commerce which at that time was maintain'd by a Maritime Voyage between the Indians and Chineses have much more of certainty than any others for their Opinion And of this Expedition I shall give a clear Account in few words CHAP. II. Of Cathay and its proper and genuine Situation ALthough in the preceding Discourse we have produc'd divers Passages out of various Authors both Latins Grecians Iews Arabians and Persians concerning the Situation of Cathay yet here notwithstanding for the better elucidation and clearing of the Matter we shall declare by divers Voyages and Travels purposely alledg'd for that end what at length this Kingdom of Cathay is and where situate It is not only evident by the diligent search of the Fathers of our Society that China is the greatest part of Cathay but also it is most apparently prov'd out of Marcus Paulus Venetus for he saith That the most vast City of Cambalu or as the true pronunciation of the Tartars hath it Cambalek was the Regal Seat of the Great Cham. The Fathers of our Society say That it was no other than the modern Imperial City of China which they call Pequin or Pekin and that the vastness of the Walls made in a Quadrangular order and the incredible bigness of the City do more than sufficiently demonstrate the same Now Marcus Paulus writeth That the City of Cambalu situate near the great River was anciently very Splendid and Regal for Cambalu signifieth The City of the Lord The Great Cham remov'd this City to the other side of the River for he
great hazard of Robbers whom having shunn'd at length he came to Ciarciunor and after ten days passing through Sarpanil a desart Place he came to the Province Sarcil over a very high Mountain and that in twenty Days Travel after two Days more he came to the foot of the Mountain Cetialath in which by reason of the multitude of Snow many perish'd by the vehemency of the Cold. Having travell'd six Days through the Snow he came to Tamgheran in the Kingdom of Cascar and after fifteen Days to Iaconich and after five to Hiarcham the Metropolitan City of Cascar and the end of the Region of Cabul The whole Region are Followers of the Law of Mahomet and hence from Hiarcham is the beginning of the Expedition by Caravan into Cathay and the Negotiation of those that certainly know they shall be admitted into the Kingdom wholly consisteth as it were in Fragments of precious Iaspar which are found in great plenty in Cathay that is in China and are of two kinds the first sort is brought out of the River Cotan not far from the Regal City by Fishermen like unto thick Flints the other being digg'd out of the Mountains is cleft into stony Plates almost two Ells long This Mountain Cansangui is distant from the Imperial City twenty Days Iourney and it is call'd The Stony Mountain noted vulgarly in Geographical Maps hence therefore Benedict after long stay again began his Voyage first he arriv'd at Iolci the Place of Custom for the Kingdom and from hence in a Voyage of twenty five Days he pass'd over these following Places Hancialix Alceghet Hagabathet Egriar Mesetelec Thalec Horma Thoantac Mingieda Capetalcol Zilan Sarognebetal Cambasco Aconsersec Ciacor Acsu Acsu is a Town of the Kingdom of Cascar from which he pass'd by a laborious Voyage through the Desart Caracatai that is Black Cataia unto Oitograch Gazo Casciani Dellai Saregabadal Ugan and at last he arriv'd at Gruciam Departing hence in a Voyage of twenty five Days he came unto the City of Cialis which is subject to the Dominion of the King of Cascar where the Saracens returning in the Caravan of the Year before from Cathay that is from Pekin the Royal City of China declar'd wonderful things unto our Benedict concerning Matthew Riccius and his Companions and here our Father wondred that he had found Cathay in the chief Place of the Chineses From hence in twenty Days he came unto Pucia a Town of the same Kingdom and from hence to Turpham and Aramuth and at length arriv'd at Camul a fortifi'd City from Camul in nine Days he came to the Walls of the North part of China which he had so long desir'd unto a Place call'd Chaiaicum where being admitted within the Walls by one Days Iourney he came to the first City of China call'd Socien and found no other Cathay but China so that from thenceforward he laid aside all scruple of the proper and true Situation of Cathay which the Saracens often confounded with China Note That this Voyage was taken or begun from Laor towards the North when he might have come to his Iourneys end from Laor by a much nearer Way but as this Voyage or Passage through the Thebetick Mountains was not yet discover'd so that also on the other side by Usbeck and Samarcande at that time was more us'd although that to conform himself unto the Custom of Merchants he was forc'd to attempt to pass by this latter though it were very much out of the Way by reason of its vast Windings and and Turnings and also on every hand subject to Robbers The Territory of Usbec is extended by a large Interval of Regions from the West to the North being made up of three very great Kingdoms whereof the first is Samarcande famous for the Birth of Tamberlan the second Tarphan and the third Turphan all of them infamous for the Religion of Mahomet The Inhabitants as Historians relate of the Scythians are Cruel Thieves Bloudy and implacable Enemies of the Christians so that this Kingdom is now altogether unpassable for the Christians except such as will become Deniers of Christ and profess themselves Followers of the Law of Mahomet And this is the Passage from Usbec to Cathay But the Voyage undertaken by Father Antonius Andradas a Portuguese into the Kingdom of Thebet was after this manner First passing over Ganges from Laor he entred into Scrinegar and Ciapharanga most great and populous Cities and from these having pass'd over a most high Mountain on the top of it he discover'd a vast Lake the common Receptacle of the Waters of the River Indus Ganges and the other great Rivers of India and hence by a Voyage of many Days and that also through high Mountains he arriv'd in the cold Northern Region Redor and in a City of the same Name from which passing through the Kingdom of Maranga and the Kingdom of Tanchut which belongeth unto the Tartars in two Months space he easily arriv'd at Cathay that is China SECT II. Another Voyage from China to the Mogor perform'd by the Fathers of our Society Father Albert Dorville and Father Iohn Gruberus THese Fathers began their Voyage from Pequin Anno 1661. in the Month of Iune from whence they arriv'd at Siganfu and from hence after thirty Days stay they departed to Sining or Siningfu in almost twice so many Days having pass'd over the Saffron River Now Sining or Siningfu is a great and populous City built at the Walls of the Kingdom of China by or through the Gate of which is the first entrance into Cathay or China for those that Trade thither from India and where also they are forc'd to stay till they have a farther admission granted them by the King The City is plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 36 Degrees and 20 Minutes From Sining in three Months space passing through the Desart of Kalmack in Tartaria they came unto the very entrance of the Kingdom of Lassa which the Tartars also call Barantola The Desart is partly moutainous partly level and overspread with Sand and Dust altogether sterile and barren unto which notwithstanding Nature is here and there in some places propitious by affording some small Rivulets whose Banks yield a sufficient quantity of green Herbs and Grass But as this Desart deriveth its original from the innermost Mediterranean Parts of India so is it also extended in a straight Line from the South to the North and no Person hath yet unto this Day been found who hath discover'd its Bounds Many suppose it to be extended even unto the Frozen Sea concerning which I have treated at large in my Book of the Subterranean World Now it hath various Names Marcus Paulus Venetus calleth it Lop infamous for Diabolical Delusions and a multitude of Spectres or evil Spirits that usually appear in it concerning which notwithstanding our Fathers relate nothing for the once or twice appearing of these Spirits doth not prove the perpetual continuance of their
appearance unto all The Tartars formerly call'd it The Desart Belgian others sometime Samo the Chineses Kalmack others Caracathay that is Black Cathay where you shall find no other Animals but wild Bulls of a mighty bigness Yet the Tartars accustom'd to Desarts wandring to and fro pass over it at all times and there also pitch or fix their Hords where they find a Place or River commodious for the Pasturage of their Cattel their Hords are Pens or Tents fit for the receiving both of Men and Cattel From Lassa or Barantola plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 29 Degrees and 6 Minutes they came in four Days space to the foot of the Mountain Langur now this Langur is the highest of Mountains so that on the top of it Travellers can hardly breathe by reason of the subtilty and thinness of the Air neither can they pass over it in Summer without manifest hazarding of their Lives by reason of the virulent and poisonous Exhalations of some Herbs No Wagon or Beast can pass over it by reason of the horrible great steepnesses and rocky Paths but you must travel all the Way on foot almost for a Months space even unto the City Cuthi which is the first or Chief City of the Kingdom of Necbal Now although this mountainous Tract be difficult to pass over yet Nature hath plentifully furnish'd it with variety of Waters which break forth of the hollow places of the Mountain in every part thereof These Waters are replenish'd with abundance of Fish for the Sustenance of Man and their Banks afford plenty of Pasturage for Beasts I take this to be the same Tract which Ptolemy calleth Parapanisus which being link'd in the series of the Caucasian Mountains is extended far and wide towards the East and with its Skirts toucheth the South and North. Marcus Paulus Venetus calleth it Belor others give it other Names according to the diversity of Nations through which it passeth From Cuthi in five Days passage they came to the City Nesti in the Kingdom of Necbal in which all the Natives being involv'd in the Shades of Idolatry live without any sign of the Christian Faith yet it aboundeth with all things necessary for the sustaining of Life so that thirty or forty Hens are sold for one Scutum From Nesti they came in five days Iourney to the Metropolitan City of the Kingdom of Necbal which is call'd Cadmendu and plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 27 Degrees and 5 Minutes where there is a potent King that Ruleth and although an Heathen yet not very much averse unto the Christian Religion From Cadmendu in half a Days time they came unto a City that the Natives call Badda the Regal City of the Kingdom of Necbal From Necbal in a Iourney of five Days you meet with the City Hedonda a Colony of the Kingdom of Maranga being plac'd under the Altitude of the Pole 26 Degrees and 36 Minutes From Hedonda in eight Days space they came even to Mutgari which is the first City of the Kingdom of Mogor From Mutgari is a Voyage of ten Days space even unto Battana which is a City of Bengala towards Ganges plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 25 Degrees and 44 Minutes From Battana in eight Days space they came to Benares a populous City on Ganges and plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 24 Degrees and 50 Minutes It is famous for an Academy of the Brachmans which flourisheth there in which all the Sciences proper unto their Religion or rather more truly unheard-of Superstitions are taught From Benares in eleven Days space they came to Catampor and from thence in seven Days to Agran Therefore from Pekin even unto Agran was a continu'd Voyage of two hundred and fourteen Days but if you have respect to the stay of the Caravans it is a Voyage of one whole Year and about two Months And these Relations â— receiv'd by word of Mouth from the above-mention'd Fathers who perform'd the Voyage in the same manner as I have describ'd it CHAP. III. Of the various Habits Manners and Customs of the Men of those Kingdoms which were observ'd and drawn by the aforesaid Fathers Albert Dorville and Gruberus as they pass'd through them AS the Kingdoms which the afore-mention'd Fathers pass'd through by a Voyage never hitherto attempted by any European were unknown to Geographers so also did they observe many things very worthy of consideration in reference to the Habits Manners and Customs of those Nations which on purpose being deliver'd to me what by Pictures and what by Writing they left to be inserted into their Voyage perform'd which I thought fit having now an opportune and convenient time to accomplish Therefore setting forwards from Pekin the Metropolis and Imperial Seat of the Chineses they came in the space of two Months to those most famous Walls at which that vast City Siningfu is situate as it were a certain and most safe Bulwark unto the Walls against the Incursions of the Tartars where in the end of our Book we exhibit the Structure of as much of these Walls as the convenience of the Place would admit of as they were most diligently observ'd and drawn by them and they added that the Walls were of so great a breadth that six Horse-men set orderly abreast might conveniently run a Race without being an hindrance to one another whence they report that they are so frequently visited by the Citizens of Siningfu both for the enjoying of the Air which is most wholsom and which breatheth from the adjacent sandy Desarts and also because they are very opportune for the performing of many other Exercises for easing and recreating of the Mind for they are of that heighth that they easily invite the Inhabitants unto them by their Prospect which is on every side most clear and open and withal exceeding pleasant and also by reason of the great conveniency of the Stairs which give an Ascent unto them now the Longitude unto the broadest part of the Wall even unto the other Port or Gate through which they pass from the Desart unto the City Sucien is so great that it can hardly be pass'd in the space of eighteen Days which many do undertake having first obtain'd leave of the Governor of Siningfu not so much out of any necessity of Trafficking or Merchandise as led by a certain Curiosity and withal being sufficiently furnish'd with Provision for they say that the innumerable Habitations which are within the Wall appear from thence as from an high Mountain but without in the adjacent Desart as the Inhabitants related unto them by word of Mouth they may recreate themselves with the wonderful and unwonted sight as it were from an high Tower of all kinds of wild Beasts such as are Tygers Lions Elephants Rhinoceroses wild Bulls Monoceroses that is a certain kind of Horn'd Asses and all the while being free and out of all danger more especially from that part of the Wall which
South there are innumerable Islands of the Sea In which words he so describeth Cathay or China that he differeth in nothing from the modern Situation the Customs of the Nations and other things proper unto China CHAP. VI. Of the Introduction of the Christian Faith into the foremention'd Kingdoms of Tartary and Cathay by the now alledg'd Voyages SEeing that in all the foremention'd Voyages we at all times meet with the mention of the Christians the Reader ought not to doubt but that the Evangelical Doctrine of the Christian Law hath been introduc'd into the utmost Kingdoms of the East from the very first Times of the Primitive Church either by the Apostles themselves or by their Disciples or their Successors in the Apostolical Function which that it may appear more plainly I am resolv'd to treat of the Apostolical Expeditions of all Ages into these Kingdoms and although I have in the former Part of this Book treated of the Expedition of St. Thomas into India and the neighboring Kingdoms yet I shall here demonstrate how by the Assistance and Labors of St. Thomas as also of St. Philip Bartholomew Thadeus and other Apostles the Holy Gospel was propagated in the Kingdom of the Mediterranean India to the utmost Bounds of Tartary Which whilst I perform I must acknowldge that I receiv'd no small Light from the excellent Father Henry Rho who hath travell'd almost throughout all India for being sent from Goa into the Kingdom of the Moguâ— to Dalcan which is now call'd The Kingdom of Visiapour having pass'd over the Mountain Gati he came to Golconda and thence into Montipur and thence by a direct Voyage to Bengala and the Kingdom of Decanum and from hence in a straight Path to the Court of the Mogor in the City of Agra What Rarities and Curiosities he observ'd in so great a Voyage he will publish to the World in due time in his itinerary Discoursing concerning the Kingdom of Narsinga and those so celebrated Relicks of St. Thomas at Meliapor he saith That amongst other things which the Christians reserve in their Library unto this Day there is the Voyage of St. Thomas which that holy Apostle undertook from Iudea into India preserv'd and that he hath it Translated out of the Syriack into the Latin Tongue which when I earnestly requested he freely assented to my Desire and it is as followeth In the general distribution of the Globe of the Earth made by the Apostles at Hierusalem for the propagation of the Divine Gospel it is manifest from Ecclesiastical History that India fell unto the lot of St. Thomas unto which that he might arrive he thus began his Voyage From Iudea having pass'd through Syria Armenia and Mesopotamia he came unto a certain City of Persia which is call'd Soldania where having sow'd the Seed of the Gospel he reap'd a large Harvest of Christian Converts Hence he pass'd through the Kingdom of Candahar and Cabul which is 40 Lucae distant from Candahar now Cabul is also call'd Galabor by which the Holy Apostle pass'd over high Mountains unto the Region call'd at this Day by the Moors Gavorstan that is The Region of Infidels for so they term the Christians which continue there unto this very Day The Christians are call'd The Christians of St. Thomas they are naturally defended or fortifi'd by most high Mountains so that there is no easie Passage to them although sometimes some Saracens pass unto them who are presently stain out of an hatred â—f their perfidious Sect but the Gentiles or Heathens are receiv'd And although these Christians observe various Rites of the Christian Religion as that they imprint a â—hree-fold Cross on their Foreheads and Temples which is done or depicted by an Indian herb â—r Weed call'd Santalis of a red Colour and that in Baptism they dip their Children in Water yet notwithstanding it hath so hapned in process of time that the Church growing full of Brambles for want of Apostolical Men Christianity is much wasted and decay'd some small sparks of the Christian Faith only remaining for the whole Nation is defil'd with the various Superstitions and Blemishes of Error Father Nicholas Trigautius in the Voyage undertaken by Benedict Goes into Cathay farther confirmeth it in these words Afterwards they came into another Town nam'd Passaur where they met a certain Anchorite by whom they understood that thirty Days Iourney thence was a City of the Christians nam'd Caphurstan into which there was no Passage admitted unto the Saracens and those that approach thereunto suffer Death yet the Heathen Merchants are not prohibited the entrance of their Cities but are only excluded or debarr'd admission to their Temples He farther related That all the Inhabitants of that Region go to Church Apparell'd in Black that the Land is fruitful and that there are plenty of Vines found there Which Narration caus'd a suspicion in him that without question there was yet the Habitation of Christians although much degenerated which he had also confirm'd by report elsewhere This was also so manifest unto others of our Fathers the Propagators of the Christian Faith in the Kingdom of the Mogul that no Person from henceforwards ought to doubt of the same whence unto this very Day they are call'd The Christians of St. Thomas and questionless they had long since been gather'd into the Church of Christ if there had not wanted Laborers Moreover St. Thomas is said to have departed from Caphurstan unto to the lesser Guzarata not far from the Kingdom of Casmir of which we have treated above which is situate distant from Labor three Days Voyage towards the North and thence he is said to have the Mountains of Thebet in a long compass of the Land towards Bengala through the Kingdom of Decan to have arriv'd at Meliapor It is certainly related that Letters written in the Syriack Tongue on a most ancient Parchment are yet preserv'd in the Library or Repository of the Church of Meliapor in which St. Thomas is said to have convocated the Bishops Consecrated by him in the aforesaid Kingdom that is from Candahar Cabul Caphurstan the lesser Guzarata and the other adjoining Provinces unto the Council of Meliapor which if it be so it is very much to be lamented that there have no Persons been found who might have translated a Treasury of so great Ecclesiastical Antiquity into Latin But however this be Origen and Eusebius write That St. Thomas first went and Preach'd to the Parthians and Gregory Nazianzen delivereth in his Homily against the Arrians that he Preach'd to the Indians Theodoret consenteth unto these that the Preaching and receiving of the Gospel amongst the Parthians Persians Medes Brachmans Indians and the bordering Nations ought to be ascrib'd unto St. Thomas And Nicephorus also relateth that he came unto Tapraban now call'd Sumatra which seeing it is not remote from the Empire of China it cannot but appear very probable to any one that he visited China also in his own Person any
one I say who rightly understandeth what I have above related concerning the Voyages of St. Thomas the Apostle which is at large handled by Osorius Bishop of Sylva who hath elegantly compil'd the Indian History Whence from these Regions even now declar'd viz. from Cabul Caphurstan Tibet and Mogul he might easily by the Bishops his Successors propagate the Sacred Gospel of Christ into the remotest Provinces and Kingdoms to the utmost Bounds of Tartary This Ortelius openly confirmeth who saith That the Kingdom of Archon situate in the utmost Angle or Corner of the North was Converted unto the Christian Faith by St. Thomas you must understand it of of his Successors so that by this Account there is no Part or Corner of the World which hath not been fill'd with the Light of the Gospel by his Care and Diligence Nicephorus also relateth in his second Book Chap. 39. That St. Philip Preach'd the Gospel in the upper Asia now the upper Asia is nothing else but that vast Space of Asia Minor which the Ancients call'd by the Name of Scythia on this side and beyond Imaus and they are all those Regions which are comprehended in the extreme Limits of the Eastern Sea and about the Caspian Sea as Georgia Iberia Albanior Micrelia Armenia and part of the Transmarine Asiatick Tartary from whence in course of Time the Gospel of our Saviour by a farther sprouting was transplanted into all the circumjacent Kingdoms as Thebet Indostan Tanchut and the like Chrysostome saith That St. Bartholomew instructed the People of the greater Armenia in the Christian Faith Sophrinus saith that he taught the Albanians and Origen that he Preach'd to the hithermost Indians Panthenus a Christian Philosopher saith That when he travell'd to the Indians he found Christianity yet flourishing by the Preaching of St. Bartholomew He that is curious to know more concerning this let him have recourse unto the History of the Armenians which they call Giarrentir that is A Book of Relations which Clemens Galanus a Canon Regular who spent many years in Armenia Georgia and the other Regions of Colchis to propagate the Christian Faith here publish'd at Rome First of all therefore the Christian Faith was introduc'd into the foremention'd Kingdoms by the Apostles Thomas Philip and Bartholomew which afterwards in course of Time being Propagated and Cultivated by their Successors very Holy Men and illuminated with the Holy Spirit diffus'd and spread the Light of the Divine Law throughout the whole East unto the great advantage of Souls until by the want of Laborers the People following a more dissolute and ill mode of Life degenerated from the Rectitude of Faith 〈◊〉 and also blemish'd and bespotted with the Rites of the Gentiles altogether fell off from the True Way for Anno 400. when by the instigation of Satan the cursed Arrius Nestorius Dioscurus and other Hereticks but especially the Nestorians had every where spread their damnable Opinions and in an horrid manner weakned the Orthodox Faith of Christ above all other Parts it infected with the Venom of its pestiferous Doctrine Colchis Armenia Persia Turchestan and the utmost Bounds of the Asiatick Tartary so that as Marcus Paulus and Haython relate there is no Place of the aforesaid Regions which it hath not defil'd Add unto this that in the Year 632. or thereabouts was the cursed rise of the Incendiary of the World Mahomet who swelling and breaking in like an Inundation over a great portion of the Earth subjected the same to his most unjust Laws whence it came to pass that the faithful Christians and more especially Persons of the Priestly Order being exil'd their Native Country by degrees forsook the Provinces of the more inward Part of of Asia either for fear of Persecution or by a voluntary Exile those that were arm'd with a zeal and desire to the House of God being inflam'd with a fervour to propagate the ancient Religion of the Orthodox Faith fled or retir'd into China it self where how much they labor'd to the advantage of the Christian Faith is plainly shew'd by the Syro-Chenesian Monument I have expounded above Now as nothing is firm and solid in Humane Affairs so also the Faith introduc'd into the foremention'd Regions now fading either through the want of Apostolical Men or the extreme degeneration of Christians tended or deflected first to Idolatry then to Mahumetanism anon to the Religion of the Nestorian Hereticks according as the lust of each Persons Genius led or drew them and this Vicissitude or Alteration of the Orthodox Faith sometimes receiv'd and sometimes being rejected continu'd more especially in the Eastern Tartary unto the Year 1252. in which as Haython the Armenian relateth who was of the Blood-Royal Haython King of Armenia his Brother Reigned until he could no longer endure the Turkish Spoilers of his Kingdom wherefore by a Divine Instinct taking a new Counsel and going in his own Person unto the Great Cham Emperor of Tartary whom Paulus Venetus calleth Cublai Cingischan who Rul'd in Tartaria and Cathay both to make a League against the Saracens and to gain the Favor of that most Potent Prince for the confirming of the Christian Commonwealth in a peaceable Estate and Condition after a tedious Voyage he arriv'd at Almalech that is Cambalu the Court of the Great Cham. The Great Cham or Cublai being much joy'd at his coming receiv'd him with great Honor and Respect as he deserv'd bestow'd on him great Presents and advis'd his Nobles to follow his Example and do the same Therefore when King Haython had rested himself some Weeks after the toil of his continual Travels he address'd himself to the Emperor and with much strength and weight of Rational Arguments open'd the Cause of his so far undertaken Voyage The Emperor having duly ponder'd the just Reasons of his Petition and greatly admiring both the Condescension of the King's Person in exposing himself to so great Labors and Danger and also considering that the Quiet of his Kingdom and the Advantage or Interest of the Christian Common-wealth was very much concern'd out of his Clemency promis'd to grant him whatsoever he should demand Haython accepting of the obsequiousness of so free an Offer Presented him in Writing several Points of his Petition which were as followeth 1. That the Great Cham would vouchsafe to embrace the Christian Faith 2. That a perpetual League of Friendship might be confirm'd between the Christians and the Tartars 3. That all the Christians both Ecclesiasticks and Laicks with their Churches might be free from all Persecution and enjoy the Immunities and Priviledges in all the Kingdoms which the Tartars had subjected to the Empire 4. That he should raise an Army to free the Holy Sepulchre of Christ from the Turkish Tyranny and also restore the Holy Land possess'd by the Saracens into the Hands of the Christians 5. That he should joyn his Forces with his to root out the most potent Caliph of Baldach 6. That he
being brought up in the Rites of the Law of the Gentiles even unto the Year 1256. in which the Great Cham Emperor of the Tartars making an Incursion into China or Cathay with an irresistible Army in a short space as I have related before subjected the whole Country unto his Dominion who as he was instructed in the Christian Religion so also a great multitude of Christians as Paulus Venetus and Haython relate entring with him Propagated themselves in a great number who at length when again the Natives recover'd the whole Empire and expell'd the Tartars the Christians also whether out of fear of Persecution or out of hope of living better among the Tartars left China and follow'd them and those that remain'd behind retain'd only some external Ceremonies And these are those Christians whom the Chineses by the Name of The Adorers of the Cross relate to have liv'd in China concerning which see what I have said before Therefore China being again accustom'd unto its Country Worship of Idols so continu'd unto the Year 1542. in which a new Light of Truth shone forth unto it for after that St. Francis Xavier an Apostle elected by God for the Salvation of the Indians had sown the Seed of the Word of God through all the unknown Parts of the World with a great and incredible gain of Souls and had gain'd Iapan an Island hardly noted to the World unto the Faith of Christ at length he apply'd his Mind inflam'd with a thirst of obtaining Souls unto Christ to the Conversion of the Chineses using his utmost endeavor that he might become Master of his Desires But it seem'd otherwise fit to the Divine disposal of the Heavenly Majesty for expecting an opportunity of entring China in Santian an Isle adjoining to the Coasts of China he was seiz'd with a Fever where being replenish'd with Merits and now ready to receive the Reward of Eternal Blessedness for those his signal Labors perform'd he rendred his Spirit unto his Creator and took his flight unto Heaven and what he could not perform of himself that he obtain'd with God by his Intercessions that his Successor in so great a Charge might accomplish after the following manner Alexander Valignanus of our Society who Anno 1582. conducted the three Vice-Roys of Iapan who were Converted to the Christian Faith to render Obedience to Pope Gregory the Thirteenth he I say had come out of Europe as appointed Visitor by the Vicar-General of all the Indies and now having pass'd over that part of India that is on this side of Ganges he set Sail to view that which is situate on the other side of Ganges and at length arriving in the Port of Amaca he determin'd with himself to pass over into Iaponia but being hinder'd by the Laws of Navigation he continu'd full ten Months in our Station of Amaca where being wholly inform'd of the Chinesian Affairs he resolv'd with great ardency to prosecute the Voyage or Expedition begun by his Predecessors that hitherto lay hid in the Embers for from the magnitude of the Empire the nobleness of the Nation their great Peace now enjoy'd for so many years the Prudence of the Magistrates as also the Political Mode of Government unto which none were admitted but only such Persons as were accomplish'd in all kinds of Literature from these Considerations I say he most rationally concluded That the Chineses being a Nation subtle and addicted unto the Studies of good Arts might so far at length be wrought upon as to admit of or tolerate certain Persons excelling in Virtue and Learning to abide or inhabit in their Empire and especially such as were not unskilful in their Country Language and Learning and he seem'd to be of opinion that in time it might so come to pass that the Rules and Statutes of the most holy Christian Law might have a propitious Influence on this Nation seeing they were so far from the disturbance of the Political or Civil Administration of the Republick or Empire that they would rather highly promote the same whence China abominating their Heathenish Vanities might conceive an hope or desire of the Heavenly good things and have an Eye unto Eternity therefore on that very account he commanded without any delay some Persons sent for out of India to employ their utmost Endeavors for the attaining of the Chinesian Language and Learning they were two Italians one Father Michael Rogerius and the other Father Matthew Riccius which when they had in some measure attain'd with very great Industry they entred the City of Canton with hope to get some Habitation in it but being often frustrated in their Intentions they return'd to Amaca It can hardly be express'd how many and various Adventures or Casualties interpos'd which rendred the Business of the undertaken Voyage if not desperate yet at least very much eclips'd and fading all which in the end being overcome the Matter was brought to the wish'd Conclusion by Father Matthew Riccius unto whom by the prosperous Lot of our Fathers the first Way was open'd into the Empire of China and to him also the blessed Success of the Christian Law ought deservedly to be ascrib'd This Person had been formerly the Scholar of Father Christopher Clavius one very well skill'd in the Mathematical Sciences he being associated unto Father Rogerius and being stor'd with abundance of curious things together with a formal Embassy from the Portuguese to the Vice-Roy of Canton made his Entrance into China and so bewitch'd the Fancy of the Governor with the Novelty of the Presents that he brought with him that he avouch'd that neiâ—â— he himself nor all China ever beheld the like and he also not only retain'd these Fathers with him as Persons dropt from Heaven but likewise shew'd them all the Respect and Civility that possibly he could The Fame of such great Matters being nois'd abroad possess'd the Minds not only of many Learned Persons in the Kingdom of Canton but throughout the whole Empire whom when they could not possibly behold in Presence or carry those admirable things with them that were so reported of they call'd them unto them every where by Letters dated out of all the Kingdoms to come and behold them for those things which were now grown common in Europe were esteem'd as Miracles in China being there as yet both unseen and unheard of Now there were amongst the rest a Clock both exact and curiously fram'd shewing besides the Hour of the Day the Rising and Setting of the Sun the Day of the Month and Age of the Moon There was also a Trigonal Glass which some thought to be an inestimable Iewel and others suppos'd it to be a part or portion of the Celestial Orb moreover Geographical Maps which express'd the Globe of the Earth unto the grat amazement and admiration of all For as the Chineses were of opinion that there was nothing else without the vast Empire of China so they could not apprehend that
admiration and to gain a Repute to the European World Lastly some Documents of Moral Philosophy unto which they are addicted to be approv'd not by vain gaiety of Words but Example of an exquisite excellent and innocent Life remov'd from all desires of Mundane Pretensions such as becometh the Apostolical Laborers in the Propagation of the Divine Law And as the Precepts of the Christian Faith seem to differ as much from the Religion of the Chineses as the Heaven doth from the Earth so it cannot be express'd how many Toils and Labors must be undergone and how many Dangers pass'd through that they may be rendred capable of receiving our most holy Law and the truth of the same genuinely explain'd Here the Vanities of Polytheism or of having many Deities must be confuted here Polygamie or Marrying of many Wives must be destroy'd by strength of Argument here the incomprehensible Mysteries of our Belief must be inculcated with great dexterity and caution wherein laboring with more than ordinary patience and continual subjection of the Body how many Calumnies must they be subject unto But for this peruse the History of Father Daniel Bartolus lately publish'd in the Italian Tongue And because the Preaching of the Gospel could not take root without the publication of Books I might treat opportunely in this Place concerning those publish'd on this Occasion As first the Works of the Venerable Father Matthew Riccius of Macera the Founder of the Chinesian Expedition after St. Francis Xavier Secondly Father Nicholas Trigautius a Flandrian of Doway Thirdly Father Iacob Rho of Milan all which writ many large and Learned Volumes And besides these there were many who publish'd large Treatises to satisfie the Curiosity of the Chineses as the two-fold Universal History of Father Nicholas Trigautius Father Iohn Terentius his Indian Pliny and many more particularly mention'd by our Author from Fol. 117. to 121. in which are the Particulars at large SOME Special Remarks TAKEN OUT OF ATHANASIUS KIRCHERS Antiquities of China PART III. Of the Idolatry of the Chineses THE Books of the Chineses mention only three Sects of Religion in China First that of the Learned next that call'd Sciequia and the third they term Lancu One of these three all the Chineses and other conterminate Nations which use the Chinesian Characters do profess such are those of Iapan Corian Tonchini and Cocincina These three Sects do very much resemble the Egyptian Priests or Wise-men their Hierogrammatists or those that were vers'd in the Sacred Writings and the Plebeians The Sect of the Learned Rule the Commonwealth abound in Books and are applauded above the rest They acknowledge Confutius as the Author and Chief of the Philosophers as the Egyptians do their Thoyt whom the Grecians call Hermes Trismegistus and as the Egyptians do their Sages worshipp'd one God whom they termed Hemphet so the Learned Men of China according to the Dictates of Confutius worship not Idols but one Deity whom they term The King of Heaven Concerning this Sect Trigautius in his Christian Expedition into China says They assert that the Function or Office of Sacrificing to and Worshipping of the King of Heaven doth only belong to the Prince and therefore the Emperor hath two most stately and magnificent Temples in his Palaces of Nanquin and Pequin the one Dedicated to Heaven the other to the Earth He himself formerly Sacrific'd in them but now the most grave Magistrates supply his Place they slay and Offer up Bulls and Sheep in Hecatombs to the Heaven and the Earth as the Egyptians did to Osiris and Isis and perform many other Rites The peculiar Temple of the Learned is that of Confutius which is erected by Law in every City in a Place above their Schools This stately Edifice adjoyns to the Magistrates Palace who is President over those that have taken the first Degree in that Learning In the most obvious place of the Temple is the Statue of Confutius full of Characters or in stead of a Statue his Name inscrib'd in Golden Letters on an elegant Table on each side of which stand the Statues of some of his Disciples whom the Chineses have Canoniz'd amongst the Deities of the inferior Order All the City Magistrates meet every New and Full-Moon in this Temple with those that have taken the Degree of Batchelors to honor their Master with accustom'd Crouching even to Prostration the Temple being all the while illuminated with lighted Torches and burning of Incense Much after the same manner the Egyptians on the first Day of the Month Thoth perform'd their Solemnities unto Mercury There are also various Statues of this God some of them very great others small and easily carried about one was communicated unto me by the Reverend Father Assistant of the Portuguese Society of Iesus Nunnius Mascaremias the which Engrav'd I thought good to adjoyn The second Sect of the Chineses which answereth to the Philosophers amongst the Egyptians is call'd Sciequia or Oympto but vulgarly Amida the Iaponeses term it Xaca and Amidabu This Law came to the Chineses from the West brought from a Kingdom call'd Threncio or Sciuro which Regions as Trigautius affirmeth are concluded under the only Name of Indostan situate between the River Indus and Ganges This Sect will easily appear by their Opinions to have proceeded from the Gymnosophists Brachmans Persians and Bactrians who anciently inhabited this Indostan and have Planted their Colonies in China for they hold a multitude of Worlds a Metempsychosis or Transmigration of Souls into Brutes professing all the Philosophy of Pythagoras Father Martinius in his Atlas thus relateth concerning them Xekiao saith he is a Sect which our Fathers hold to have been introduc'd into China first after Christ It admitteth a Transmigration of Souls after Death as a Punishment for Sins committed and that both external and internal They worship Idols and perpetually abstain from whatsoever had Life a Law judg'd necessary by them for a withdrawing of the rude Multitude from Vice and as an incitement to Vertue The internal Metempsychosis is that part of Moral Philosophy most famous and excellent as having reference unto the Vacuity and universal Victory of the Passions and deprav'd Affections that this may take place they hold that they pass into Plants and Animals as they were obnoxious and inclinable unto their Affections In their sceptical way they will have nothing to have the stamp of Truth in this Life but as we apprehend it and that Good and Bad are the same in respect of divers Taigautius subscribeth unto this This Opinion saith he fram'd with Democritus and others many Worlds but they seem chiefly to have borrow'd the Transmigration of Souls from the Doctrine of Pythagoras and they have added many other Fictions unto it to colour over the Falsity Now they appear not only to have receiv'd these Tenents from our Philosophers but also to have borrow'd a certain Shadow from the Evangelical Light for they introduce a
many beautiful Fabricks and not a few Temples But the Tower without the Walls excelleth all the rest in splendor and magnitude of Work The Figure is eight-square rising from the Ground nine Stories in heighth and therefore is call'd Novizonia its Perpendicular from the Vertex to the Foundation is ninety Cubits unto which the Breadth answereth in a due proportion The exterior Wall is adorn'd with Carv'd and Painted Figures made of the finest Clay of which they make their Porcellane The inward Wall is vested with particolour'd Marble which is so polish'd that like a bright Mirror it reflecteth the Face of the Beholder You ascend by Stairs not built in the Tower but within the double Walls from which there is a Passage unto each Story and thence to most beautiful Footpaces cut in Marble and Gilded Iron Grates by which the Galleries are every where fortifi'd and adorn'd Without the Tower about all the Galleries and especially at the top small Bells and tinkling Instruments are so hung that being mov'd by the Wind they make a most pleasant Musical Consort The last Round containeth the Idol unto which the Tower is Dedicated which is Cast in Copper and Gilded over About the Tower are several other Temples of Idols which may easily compare with the ancient Fabricks of the Romans And this is one of those Towers which as I formerly mention'd was superstitiously erected by the Chineses they supposing that their Fortune and Felicity doth depend upon it I have briefly describ'd it because I my self ascended it and diligently view'd every Corner of it and though there be many which are more beautiful than it yet from the Description of this you may judge of the rest seeing they are for the most part alike and built in the same order of Architecture Moreover as the Egyptians believ'd their Daemons to be confin'd within Statues and Consecrated certain Temples unto them so in like manner do the Chineses concerning which hear Iarricus before cited in the place above quoted thus discoursing There is likewise in the Empire of China a Place Dedicated to the Devil where they go to make their most solemn Sacrifices unto him in a little Isle they call the Idol Camassono and those that pass by much dreading this Idol and fearing lest their Vessels should be cast away when they are over against the Isle make an Offering casting into the Sea either Oyl or such other Merchandise as they have Aboard Concerning their Oracles thus writeth Trigautius in the first Book Chap. 8. of the Voyage into China Some of the Chineses saith he consult the Devils and there are many familiar Spirits which they commonly suppose to have more of their good Daemon than any Fraud or Malice of an Evil Spirit they discover things deâ—lare present and foretel future Events these we read to have been common to all the Heathen But there is one special Science peculiar only to the Chineses which is the erecting of a Terrestrial Scheme that is by the Configuration and Position of the Mountains as we may term it in present Prospect as if they were moving Planets aspecting variously several fix'd Constellations all Landskips so altering by the least change of Place either in Longitude or Latitude they Calculate and so chuse a piece of Ground to build on either Publick or Private Edifices in which those that reside or are most concern'd may live happily and be successful in the future and also to Interr the Deceased supposing such Situation very much additional to their Eternal Bliss and Happiness after Death which choice Plot they so settle in posture with the Dragons they dream of under Ground affirming this Place to be just over the Dragons Head that his Tail and there his Feet for from these subterraneous Spirits they more than superstitiously believe all Humane Affairs Private or Publick even to the Translation of Kingdoms and Empires receive their Laws and therefore many grave Persons are employ'd in this most mysterious occult Science who are especially concern'd when any Publick Buildings Machins or Operas are to be erected to which kind of Prediction not only the Great Ones but the whole Nation are inclin'd every Corner of the Streets and Houses of Entertainment swarming with these blind Prognosticators Thus far Trigautius And who beholdeth not here another Face of Egypt in which all Affairs were carried on by Auguries and Omens He that desireth to know more of this may have recourse to the Authors cited The three Deities worshipp'd under the Name of one Pussa are seated in a more elevated place together with two Attendants which the Chorus or Quite of the Deasters beneath with stretched out and lifted up Hands seem to uphold in the middle is the Deaster term'd Fe or Fo which signifieth A Saviour like another Iupiter resplendent with an august Face and wonderful Majesty encompass'd with many Gods and Goddesses whom they call the Heroes of the ancient Times begotten by the Gods under which are again plac'd a Troop of the Semi-Gods Gods of Nature and Kingdoms which are usually exhibited as so many Internuncii who with great Veneration and signal readiness attend to execute the Commands of the Great Fo or Chinesian Iupiter SOME Special Remarks TAKEN OUT OF ATHANASIUS KIRCHER'S Antiquities of China PART IV. THE PREFACE SEEING that many things related by our Fathers concerning the Indian Kingdoms and the Empire of China are carped at by some Criticasters as being feign'd and false I shall here call them anew unto Examination that it may be manifest there is nothing in those Places so strange or exotick which is not found both in Europe and also in several other Parts of the World CHAP. I. Of the wonderful Situation of China and the manner of the Peoples Living there AS the Empire of the Chineses is the most Opulent Potent and Populous containing fifteen Kingdoms so the Government is the most absolutely Monarchical of all other Nations being furnish'd both with the Arts and Rarities of Nature Policy and good Order so that being independent and totally separated from the rest of the World it seems a Microcosm or little Universe within it self Nature having on the North and West besides a Wall of three hundred Italian Miles hedg'd it about with the vast and unbounded Defence of a Sandy Sea on the East and South she has so fortifi'd it both with the unlimited and as yet unknown Recesses of the East and South Ocean and also with wild Roads and unsafe Harbors for Shipping that without manifest danger you can hardly approach her Shores both by reason of the boisterousness of the Winds and the most violent reciprocations of the Marine Tides And lest on the West some Entrance should be granted Nature hath block'd up her Paths with rugged inaccessible and yet unpenetrated Mountains and so Arm'd with Garrisons of wild Beasts and venomous Serpents ambuscaded in their obscure Recesses that on this side no one can hope for Passage wherefore
China is often call'd in their Language Cunghoa signifying The Middle Empire believing themselves to be situate in the midst and Navel of the World and sometimes Cungque A Garden in the midst or A Florid Garden by reason of the affluence of all things necessary for Humane Life for the whole Empire is so much enrich'd from the defusion of Lakes and Rivers breaking out every where from the Mountains of the West and from the Mediterranean Parts of the continu'd Mountains that there is scarcely a Field that is not water'd with almost no City but may hold a Correspondency with others by Shipping that Sail through Rivers and Trenches to the great convenience of Merchants and Travellers the most perspicuous Rivers are Kiang for its largeness term'd The Son of the Sea and Hoang so call'd from his Saffron Colour These water all China and rising from the bordering Indian Mountains by a divided Dominion separate the whole Empire and at length disembogue themselves into the Eastern Ocean And this is also most worthy of admiration in the Chinesian World and which hapneth unto no other Monarchy that at this day the Empire is so situate from the South towards the North that not content with the proper Munificences of the Temperate Zone it hath moreover subjected both the Torrid and Frigid unto its Iurisdiction beginning from the 18. Degree of the Torrid Zone and proceeding in a straight Line through the Temperate it is extended almost unto the 70. Degree of the Altitude of the Frozen Tartarian Ocean within the Frigid Zone in all 32 Degrees which if divided into 15. make 780 Astronomical Miles of which 15 make one Degree and 3120 Italian Miles 60. of which Miles make one Degree From whence it followeth that all sorts of Fruits Aromaticks Trees and Animals are so common unto this Empire as they are each of them proper to their peculiar Climate and therefore what is scatter'd in sundry Parts is here collected with abundant Increase What Monarch ever had the happiness every Day to have his Table furnish'd with the seasonable and proper Fruits of the Indies brought from the Burning Zone and to be delighted with the variety and abundance of all Fruits peculiar to the Temperate Zone and whatever else serves for Food Raiment or Pleasure For what this vast Empire hath either rare delicate or admirable is all serv'd up for the Emperor's use The Supreame MONARCH of the CHINA TARTARIAN Empire CHAP. II. Of the Political Government of the Chineses SEeing in the former Chapters we have treated at large of the Political Empire of the Chineses here I thought good to adjoin some things worthy of greater consideration The Emperor of China is absolute Lord of the whole Monarchy and the Empire is so Govern'd by him that no Person may undertake any Business of importance without his Assent The Monarchy descendeth successively from the Father to the Sons and where the Direct Line fails it runs Collateral all the rest whether they be Brethren or Nephews or otherways join'd in Consanguinity are honor'd with the Title of Kings each of them having a Province assign'd him which they Rule but yet with such a limitation of Authority that having certain Revenues assign'd them all the rest is transferr'd into the Emperor's Treasury There are six Tribunals or Courts of Iustice which determine all Causes and Controversies of the whole Empire The first for chusing of Magistrates The second the Exchequer of his Imperial Majesties Revenues The third for Emergencies in Ecclesiastical Affairs The fourth for the Militia The fifth orders Publick Edifices and such like Buildings The sixth spreads it self into several Courts concerning Criminal Causes And by these six with their subordinate Officers all Business is dispatch'd The Emperor hath Lords of his Privy-Council which they call Colaos who as they are Persons excellently vers'd in the knowledge of State Affairs so also they are had in estimation next to himself he hath likewise his Governors or Lords Lieutenants of divers Degrees which are term'd Mandorins and accomplish'd in variety of Learning and Knowledge so that the whole Kingdom is in a manner Rul'd as Plato's Commonwealth only by Learned Men and that Kingdom cannot but arrive to 〈◊〉 greatest heighth of Felicity in which either the Prince acts like a Philosopher or a Philosopher Reigneth This is manifest by the innumerable multiâ—â—des of the Inhabitants which the Emperor Governeth with as much facility as the Master of a Family doth his House it is also clear from the Magnitude Splendor and incredible Magnificence of the Cities and the frequency of â—ridges the Structure of which whether you have respect to their Length or 〈◊〉 Rules of Architecture hath amaz'd such as beheld them Add unto this the convenience of Publick Passages the afflux of Shipping from all Parts resorting to the Metropolitan Cities the indefatigable Labor and Industry of the Husbandmen in Cultivating their Lands the great Vigilancy and unwearied Guard of the Soldiery the extraordinary Rigor and Severity of the Iudges in punishing Malefactors all which cannot have their original in so great an Empire without the supposition of excellent Laws establish'd for the confirmation of the Peace and Tranquility thereof As for the Emperor 's annual Revenues although they are not always fix'd and certain by reason of the vicissitude and alteration of Times yet for the most part in Peace they easily amount to 150000000 Tayes according to their Exchequer Rolls in which as Father Martinius avoucheth they have not only the number of the Inhabitants in every Province and City but also a Compute of each Years Revenue most exactly Registred In the Regency of the Emperor Vanly the number of the Inhabitants throughout the whole Empire amounted to about two hundred Millions not accounting the Emperor's Servants Eunuchs Women and Children and the Revenue was estimated at 1500000. of Gold after our Rate but now under the Regency of this Emperor the Revenues of his Kingdoms being also in the Audit it far exceeds and for better satisfaction I have here annex'd a Table of the annual Incomes of each of the fifteen Provinces of the Empire of China paid into the Exchequer together with the number of the Inhabitants contain'd in every one of them in the time of the Emperor Vanly which Table I have extracted out of Martinius his Atlas A Catalogue of the Families Fightmen-Men not reckoning the Emperor's Retinue together with the Tributes yearly paid throughout the whole Empire excepting Tolls and Customs taken from the Book of the Compute of the Chineses in the Year that the Empire flourish'd according to Father Martine Martinius and others  Families Fighting-Men Sacks of Rice Pounds of Silk Trusses of Hay Pounds of Salt of 24 ounces 1. Pechinck Peckali or Cambalu the Metropolis and a hundred and thirty five Cities under it 418989 3452254 2274022 45135 8737284 180870 2. The Kingdom of Xansi hath five Chief Cities unto which are subject ninety two less